The Bachelor
by Enx2103
Summary: "I'm not giving you a bachelor party with a stripper...I'm giving you something else...I'm not giving you what you want buddy...I'm giving you what you need."  Sam promised the groom. Derek was in for one hell of a night.
1. Chapter 1

****The Bachelor**  
><strong>**Disclaimer:** I don't own LWD  
><strong>AN<strong>: Enjoy

* * *

><p><strong><strong>The Bachelor<strong>  
>Chapter 1:<strong>

Derek pulled up to the hotel where they were all supposed to meet. He was sort of...well, giddy to be honest. He wasn't sure what to expect. Well, he knew what he wanted. He was hoping that Sam had been a good friend and followed through with his Best Man duties but he would soon find out.

He walked into the hotel; it was some pretty fancy stuff. Was Sam really bringing a stripper there? Well, maybe she was a high-end stripper...Oh how his thoughts were in the gutter. He shook his head trying to keep his thoughts at bay until the actual party. Speaking of it, where were his boys?

He was about to pull out his cell phone when he spotted Sam walking out of an elevator, alone, with his hands stuffed in his pockets, and a mischievous grin across his lips.

Derek eyed him for a moment. "Dude...?" He questioned when Sam reached him.

The smile didn't fade from Sam's face. "Hey man!" He said cheerfully.

"Where are the rest of the guys? Am I late?" He asked a bit worried. Had they started without him?

"Listen Der... I'm your best friend, right? And I know you best..." He started choosing his words very carefully. He didn't want to give it away but he needed to tell Derek that he wasn't getting his stripper.

"Yeah?" He said weary, scared of where this was going.

"So, I chose to not throw you a bachelor party." He admitted, bracing himself for the explosion that was sure to come.

"WHY NOT?" Derek yelled, causing a few people to look their way. Let it be Derek to cause a scene.

Sam rolled his eyes, realizing he wasn't going to get through his speech. He easily pulled out a hotel keycard out of his pocket and placed it in Derek hand. "Let me finish." Sam said annoyed. It was like talking to a 5 year old!

Derek took the card and inspected it, nodding his head, telling Sam to go on.

"I'm not giving you a bachelor party with a stripper. We're not going to sit around watching her dance as we smoke and drink the night away. I'm giving you something else. You're gonna go upstairs to the 18th floor, room 1835, okay? I'm not giving you what you want buddy...I'm giving you what you need." He finished, patting his friend on the back, about to walk away.

"Is there a hot girl in there Sam?" He asked, hoping the answer was a yes. I mean, what else could possibly be waiting for him inside?

Sam smiled softly. "She's definitely attractive, yeah." He had seen the outfit she was wearing. Any man given the opportunity would say she was sexy, but not Sam. Sam couldn't use those words to describe her. Not anymore.

"Am I gonna get lucky?" He had to ask. He didn't know why he was asking...sex should have been out of the question. But the way it sounded, it was all a set up for that particular purpose.

"She's down for it, yeah." Sam replied, picking his words carefully. She was in there waiting for him, hoping to have sex. But that final decision didn't rest on her shoulders, ultimately it was up to Derek.

"Well, alright then Sammy! Thanks bud!" He smiled before running towards the elevator anxiously.

Sam laughed watching his friend go with excitement. He could only hope that it worked out the way he wanted it to...

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Ok, so i've had this idea in mind for a long time. Who do you think is inside room 1835? His fiance, a stripper, a blast from the past, Casey? ;) I have the next few chapters written so its up to you guys if you actually want to read it.

Review?


	2. Chapter 2

**The Bachelor****  
><strong>**Disclaimer:** I don't own LWD  
><strong>AN<strong>: Enjoy

* * *

><p><strong><strong>The Bachelor<strong>  
>Chapter 2: <strong>

Derek reached the door but couldn't bring himself to open it. He knew that chances were he was going to cheat on his fiancé. He didn't want to, which is why he just wanted a stripper. She'd just give him a lap dance and a hard on, big deal. But this…stepping into a room where there's only this girl, whoever she may be...It was dangerous. If Sam was serious and this girl was attractive, well it was going to happen. Now, that's not to say Derek didn't have self-control, because with all the propositions that women gave him daily, he had more than proved himself. But Sam's words repeated in his head. This wasn't just some girl, he knew that.

After a few more second, he decided that he could just stay out there contemplating it all night, he had to go inside. He slid the keycard in slowly. The beep soon followed, allowing him entrance into that room.

He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "Hello," he called fully entering the room.

And that's when he saw her; she was wearing a black lace baby doll dress. Calling it a 'dress' was putting it lightly of course. It barely went passed the very top of her thighs. It barely covered anything and its sheer material clearly showed you what was underneath. As if she even needed anything extra.

"Hey Der," she smiled 'seductively'. She was trying to be sexy but that wasn't a look she usually went for.

Although she hated it, Derek's teasing insults were right. She was a keener and a klutz, a combination that didn't result in sex appeal. She could barely walk in heels (which is why she opted on no 'fuck me pumps.') She knew she was attractive, cute or pretty even, but that's not really seductive. She had no choice but to play the part if she wanted this to go as planned. Of course she was uncomfortable in the little outfit; she had never worn anything like it. But she figured it was the sort of thing that made a cute girl sexy…she even googled it.

She chewed on her bottom lip as she surveyed his body. She needed no extra help with that. The lust that filled the room was a normal occurrence when he was near. It had been awhile but he still looked the same, better even. But the most important aspect of his appearance was that his mere presence still caused her both rage and butterflies.

Yeah, the feeling was still there. So yeah, she was going to go through with it.

With what exactly you may ask? Well, you see Casey had this problem. And in her mind, every problem had a solution. Her problem was Derek. Not just the fact that he existed and was a part of her life whether she liked it or not, but more of _what_ his existence did to her. It made her lust.

At least that's the only explanation she could reach after analyzing their situation from every possible angle. Unresolved sexual tension lingered between the two of them from the moment they meet. You can say it's because opposites attract. However, Casey blamed it on Newton's third law of motion: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Any movement she made, he simply had to counter it. There was nothing left to the explanation, it was pure science. It was the way the chemical composition of their personalities reacted towards each other.

She did her best trying to predict every outcome of any possible solution. She had tried everything else. She put distance between them; she dated guys who could pass as his twin. She even did some things she'd refuse to repeat since they are embarrassing and below her to mention them again. She had no other choice. It was her last resort; however…it wasn't the most politically correct moral option. She decided that she would have to sleep with Derek Venturi, the bane of her existence. It was the only way to get rid of the tension she felt between them. One night and it would finally go away. It had to. Because if she was willing to sacrifice her morals, loyalty, reputation, dignity and above all, her ego, this had better work. So she concocted a plan in which she could resolve her problem, well she could only hope that he'd see her point. And in one night, all of Casey's problems would melt away.

"Casey?" He asked confused. What was she doing there? Sam's words wrung through his head. _"I'm not giving you what you want, I'm giving you what you need." _So according to Sam, he… _needed _Casey? "What are you doing here?" He asked in a shaky breath.

She rolled her eyes at his reaction. She hopped off the bed and walked up to him easily. (She wasn't going to attempt 'strutting.') He was still frozen in place. "Me and you...we have unresolved sexual tension." She explained crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't mean any harm, she was just hoping to somehow comfort herself in this awkward predicament she found herself in. But all it really did was push her chest up a bit more, really making Derek even more uncomfortable.

He tried to keep his eyes locked on hers but it was way too hard. He felt wrong objectifying Casey 'The Super Feminist' that way...but was it really his fault? She was the one flaunting it! "No. We don't." He said nervously, trying to move away from her and doing his best not to touch her. What had gotten into this girl? He hadn't seen her for what seemed like months. Actually ever since he got engaged. And then suddenly she appears the night of his bachelor party?

"You're being immature." She sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. She didn't want him to feel too uncomfortable by her. She was uncomfortable enough for both of them. At least he was wearing clothes!

"Immature?" He scoffed as if she had just insulted his family name. "I think I'm being very mature for a red-blooded male who has a nearly naked woman in front of him!" He yelled. She gave him no credit at all. Clearly she didn't know how hard it was. Restraint was something he usually didn't have to worry about. If he wanted it, 9 out of 10 times he could have it. This, of course, being one of those 1 out of 10 situations where he couldn't because nothing good came out of his life when Casey was involved.

"You're proving my point." She sighed heavily with a dramatic eye roll. He could barely look at her. She couldn't help but feel a bit pained. She was trying so hard to look the part, and he didn't even bother looking. Normally she would be opposed to being ogled. But this was different, this _needed_ to be done. Or so she thought.

"Casey-" he started pinching the bridge of his nose, clearly frustrated. _Don't look,_ he told himself. Because the second he let himself see her, really take in the details of her body, he was screwed for life. Eternally screwed. He wouldn't be able to erase the image out of his mind. He would never be able to see her as anything but what she was right then and there. Sure, he had seen her in a two-piece before, but this was different. This was Casey McDonald looking absolutely _mouthwatering_ in lace. And that was what he gathered by only peeking out of the corner of his eye.

"No Derek. We're having sex, okay?" She demanded. "I need to be done with these...feelings." She said, choking out the words at if they burned her throat. And they did. The thoughts were horrible enough in her head. Saying them out loud made it even worse.

"Feelings?" He asked, arching an eyebrow, suddenly intrigued. He took a step towards her, testing the limits to see if it was safe, keeping his eyes locked on hers. He was a bit worried she would pounce on him...Who the hell was she and what had she done to his favorite keener anyway?

"Two alpha dogs thrown into a house together and they're expected to behave? Just the massive hatred towards each other was enough to set the house on fire. That's a lot of passion right there. Derek, of course we were attracted towards each other. I thought it would disappear after we left for college, but it hasn't. That feeling is still there. And we need to get rid of it already! For my sake and my sanity. And you're…getting married!" She coughed, not being able to even fathom the idea of Derek getting married before her- blasphemy. "You see, right now this," she pointed at the two of them and around the room, "is wrong, but it would be a million times worse if I waited until you actually got married I'd be the other women. I have never been the other women!" She yelled in frustration…with herself just as much as with him. "This is wrong enough as it is, so please, let's stop talking and get this over with so we can both be at peace."

He chuckled a bit. Classic Casey. She was over-thinking and over-reacting, it was kind of cute. And to be honest, he had to admit that there was something always there between him and Casey. He knew it, although he chose to ignore it, he did in fact know. "What are we going to do?" He asked, looking down at his feet because he couldn't face her anymore.

"We're going to have sex," she said sadly. As if the whole idea had brought her sorrow and pain. Hey, at least she was blunt about it. There was no run around, just the pure raw truth. _It has to be done,_she thought to herself. She didn't want to punk out now.

"Are you going to make me?" He asked, almost depressed. But that was only because he too was slowly realizing the motive to Casey's madness. She was right. The Keener was always right. And it killed him because for once he would love for her to be wrong about something.

"No...that would be rape." She laughed softly. Jeez, the way they were acting made it seem like someone had died! Wasn't sex supposed to be fun?

He laughed with her. "Okay." He finally said, nodding along. He shrugged out of his leather jacket and threw it on the chair in the corner.

She watched his every move in fascination. It would actually happen. "O-okay?" She asked a little taken back. Really...that was it? It was that easy? She _almost_ wanted him to put up a fight, to tell her she was wrong and crazy. (_She wanted to be wrong…_) Or maybe it was just a bit of her internal panic that it was actually going to happen...finally.

"We have sex, get rid of the tension and never talk about it again." He shrugged. To be honest he had to agree because well his body was betraying him at the moment. He couldn't think straight anymore. He too had fallen into the deep pit of desire and need that always seemed to surround the pair. He had finally let his guard down and fell into it head first.

He let himself look at her.

"Well, let's do this." She said awkwardly, waiting for him to make the move. Because yes, she could _try_to be seductive, but the actual physical aspect of it, that would always be Derek's forte, even Casey knew that.

"Yeah..." He sighed, unbuttoning his black shirt.

Here goes nothing.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Ok, this very well might be my favorite chapter in the whole fic. I'm quite proud with the detail and how I wrote it.

And yes, you guys were right. It was Casey, obviously haha.

Thoughts? I hope you all understand where Casey is coming from. The original chapter I had written was too OCC for Casey so I went back and revamped it and I love it now, I hope you do too! Shes not trying to ruin his wedding or anything. Shes just trying to sort out her feelings the only way she thinks she can.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Bachelor****  
><strong>**Disclaimer:** I don't own LWD  
><strong>AN<strong>: Enjoy

* * *

><p><strong><strong>The Bachelor<strong>  
>Chapter 3: <strong>

"Der-ek!" She whined, pushing him off of her, clearly annoyed. On top of that she was hot, sweaty and well, bothered to be frank. And he wasn't exactly helping.

"What?" He asked clearly offend. He was sure he was doing everything right. (The proof was in the pudding.) Yet every move he made seemed to be wrong according to Casey. Funny, he never heard any complaints before. But then again, this is Casey; she could find a flaw in a Picasso. Funny, he thought she could appreciate the fine art, even if what he was doing wouldn't exactly be considered art…

"You're being sweet, gentle...romantic even." She said, looking as if she was going to puke. And this was the girl who was a romantic at heart?

Deep down, she loved it, every soft caress, the gentle kisses on every inch of her skin, the tender loving. It was all perfect, but that's not what she needed. She wanted it to be over with. She secretly wanted to hate every second of it so she could rid her mind of the infatuation. So she could trick herself into thinking sex with Derek was not good, it didn't live up to the hype. That type of thing. She wasn't _supposed_ to actually enjoy it.

"Oh, well excuse me for trying to make this good for you Princess!" He yelled right back. _What did she want? Wham, bam, thank you ma'am? _It was typical though. They really couldn't do anything without having to fight about it. You see he wasn't like Casey. He refused to plan out every move and the repercussions of those moves. He trusted his gut and his instincts. Something he learned on the ice that he used in life every day. His instinct was the one guiding him, telling him how to touch, where to kiss and how hard to bite. He thought it was going great! But as usual, she had to go against him.

"Derek," she sighed, pulling the blanket up to cover her exposed body. "I'm not her... Don't confuse the two," she whispered shyly. Was that how he was with Allie? Was he even aware who he was in bed with? Because sure, she may not want to enjoy it, but he should be aware of _who_ she was!

"I'm sorry, did I slip up on the names? I know you're not, Case." He responded with a hint of annoyance. But deep down he had to question why she would think he was confusing the two. He very well knew who he was dealing with. He hadn't even thought of Allie since he stepped into the room. He was a horrible fiancé, but he couldn't think about that right now. Not when Casey was there. She was intoxicating that woman.

"Then why are you being that way?" She asked, wanting it quick, fast and over with. "I'm good to go," she admitted rather boldly. But it was true. She really just wanted to get it over with. Why couldn't he understand that?

"I'm aware." He smirked proud that he could do that to the keener. Never in a million years did he think he would be able to say that.

"So?" She asked frustrated. Why couldn't he just finish the job? Wasn't he a pro?

"I'm sorry Case, I'm not sloppy and fast unless I'm drunk." He shrugged, lying back down on his side of the bed. Why were they having this damn conversation? Why did Casey have to stop him? It was going fine!

They sat there in awkward silence for a bit. And that's when it came to her. She smiled jumping out of the bed and walked over to the mini fridge. She pulled out the biggest bottle she could find. "It's on Sam's tab." She smiled, showing him her discovery.

There she was, standing in absolutely nothing, holding a cold bottle of champagne in her hands. Sex and alcohol. Who was he to deny her? "Okay, let's try this again." He smirked.

And try they did.

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><p>The deed was done. It started off by sharing a bottle of champagne between them. Suddenly the fact that they were naked started becoming insignificant. Eventually, when they were drunk enough, things started becoming a bit hazy. Casey couldn't remember much, to be honest.<p>

But he changed.

He wasn't loving and careful with her like he was at first. He was suddenly rough, demanding yet never sloppy. She couldn't deny it, even highly intoxicated he was still very passionate.

See that's the things with Derek and Casey, they would _always_ be passion between them. Even if they tried to ignore it and avoid it, it was always there. It came along with the package and the chemistry.

If she had been in her right mind, she would have complained and told him to shut it off, as if he could control it. But she wasn't in her right mind. She was way passed intoxicated. She was drunk, but from more than just the champagne or any other liquid substance. She was drunk off of him… All she could think of was Derek Venturi. And anytime her mind started to sober up in the slightest bit, he would hiss her name and she'd be pulled right back into him.

She woke up first the next morning. The splitting headache was proof enough of last night. There was also the weight of Derek's bare body to remind her. Her thoughts raced as she pieced together what had happened...they both _wanted_ it. They both _needed_ it.

It had happened, now she could move on.

A faint smile graced her lips as she felt the weight physically remove itself from her shoulders. She watched him sleep for a few minutes. He looked handsome. The stubble on his checks irritated her skin but she didn't mind. That is until she felt a familiar tingle shoot down the center of her body.

Her eyes widened. No, she refused. It was over; it had to be.

She quickly rolled out of bed and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. 

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><p>DPOV<p>

He quickly woke up, disoriented until flashes of last night filled his mind. A lazy smirk painted across his lips as he heard the shower running. He made his way into the bathroom clad of course (clothing was overrated). He was hoping to hop in and join her, but Casey didn't seem to agree.

"What are you doing?" She yelled when he pulled the shower curtain back. She did her best to cover her body from his eyes as if he hadn't seen every inch the previous night.

He watched her confused yet very tempted to laugh at the awkwardness in her eyes. Why was she acting like that? "Shower?" He asked slowly. As if it were possible for him to give her the wrong answer.

"No! I'm almost done, go away!" She yelled, closing the curtain between them. He stood there motionless for a while. He finally got enough strength to move (last night had taken a lot out of him after all). He had no choice but to make his way back to bed and wait until she was done.

She came out of the bathroom fully clothed, makeup done and everything. She looked fine...normal even. The makeup had done a good job of masking her lack of sleep. (She may have gotten 2 hours, 3 at best).

He watched her every move like a hawk.

"What?" She asked, annoyed when he wouldn't look away. The truth was it scared her. The look in his eyes... it was intense. It looked like a mixture of emotions. But the most evident was the ever-present passion. Had that always been there? He gave her goosebumps whilst she could barely look at him. It was really hard not to though, but every time she did she would remember last night. The night that never happened. The night where_nothing_ happened. And that terrified her.

"Nothing." He said, shaking his head out of the haze. He made his way towards the shower to get cleaned up as well. Was this how it was going to be now? As opposed to their usual fighting, she would just hate him altogether? His thoughts were all over the place as he showered in the hottest water possible. Yeah, he was sore. What the hell happened last night? This was definitely not what he was use to the morning after. He inspected his body and even found a few scratches. Jeez Casey, territorial much? He thought with a sexy smirk on his lips because he knew he liked it.

"Derek," she called out, breaking his concentration completely.

"Yeah?" He asked, peeking his head out of the shower curtain to see her.

She was peeking inside the bathroom, not daring to step completely inside. Her breath hitched when she saw him. She could only see his upper half with beads of water clinging onto his skin. His hair drenched, sticking to his face beautifully. She did her best not to stare.

"Nothing happened last night." She replied with no emotion etched across her face. (Living with him had made her a good liar, in return, a good actress, something she was forever thankful for).

He was quiet for a second until he realized she was waiting for a response. He just stared back at her, trying not to look hurt. He knew it was a one-night thing. That was made clear the second he stepped into that room last night. And Allie, Jesus, he forgot all about her! All he could think about was _Casey_. Lust, he convinced himself. It was purely sexual. But...wasn't the point of last night to get rid of that sexual tension? "Nothing at all." He replied, his voice just as dead as hers.

With one last lingering look, she nodded before she stepped back out and closed the bathroom door. She took a deep breath before opening the hotel room door.

By the time he came out, she was long gone. There was no trace of her anywhere. Not even a note. _Nothing_, her voice rang in his ears. "Nothing." He whispered, shaking his head, hoping to rid himself of her voice. He blamed it on the hangover. He gathered his own stuff after awhile and went to check out.

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><p><strong>AN:<br>**So...What do you think?


	4. Chapter 4

****The Bachelor**  
><strong>**Disclaimer:** I don't own LWD  
><strong>AN<strong>: Enjoy

* * *

><p><strong><strong>The Bachelor:<strong>  
>Chapter 4<strong>

He was to get married in a month but all he could think about was Casey, naturally. Because she ruined everything. At least that was what he was telling himself. Eventually he concocted a plan to see her, because he simply had to see her. He was a bit curious as to what was going through her head. What she thought about that night. If she felt anything…if it was more than just purely physical. Because that's what he thought. Until he remembered he was engaged to be married. _Why the hell did I have to propose?_ His thoughts were all over the place, all because of her. He almost missed the chaos that she brought into his life when they were cooped up in the same house. But since they no longer were and he had to find it- he had to find her. So naturally in true Derek fashion, he showed up at her place that night, unexpectedly.

Her heart stopped when she saw his reddish brown tousles through the peep hole. She really didn't even need to look at his face. She knew his hair anywhere. It was almost as much of an identifying factor as his smirk. She took a step back from the door and tried to catch her breath. She wasn't aware that she had even lost it. She contemplated not answering it, pretending that she wasn't there. Hide in her room and wait it out. But she _couldn't_ stop thinking about him either.

It seemed like her grand master plan had backfired.

She remembered the best bits of that night. Bits that just made her want more. She figured it was physical but it was much more. She ached when she saw her calendar marked with that dreadful date. His wedding was only a few weeks away. He would be taken for good soon. That wasn't supposed to have any effect on her, but it did. And that realization alone scared her even more. Why oh why did she have to meet Derek Ventrui anyway?

He knocked again. She closed her eyes tight knowing curiosity was getting the best of her. _What was he doing there?_ Before she could change her mind, she opened the door halfway.

"What?" She sighed, not letting him step one foot inside her home. She used her body as a shield keeping him outside, not letting him in. She had enough of him, he wasn't allowed to venture into her domain any deeper. She wouldn't be able to handle it. So, she spoke quickly and went straight to the point. She painted on her best annoyed expression because she refused to let him see how she was really feeling. He wasn't allowed to see the wreck he had created without even trying.

"Can I come in?" He asked. He kept his hands in his pocket with a cool and collective look on his face. As if stopping by in the middle of the day was a normal thing between them. He pushed aside the hissing pain that seeing her seemed to cause him. It almost felt like heartburn, a literal throb in his chest that made him want to cringe. But he was a man damnit, he knew how to smile through broken bones. Another life lesson he had learned on the ice. And they said hockey would teach him nothing!

"Why are you here?" She replied, never answering him. No, he couldn't come in. She wasn't sure what could happen if he did step inside. Sure, she knew she wasn't going to jump him. But the feeling would remain in her bones. Her fingertips would ache to touch him. Even in the most innocent way possible. Distance was always too much when it came to them. They could almost never reach the level of intimacy and closeness that they needed. So no Derek, you can't come in.

"I'm just here to deliver some bad news Princess," he shrugged. It wasn't a lie; he did have news that wasn't going to please her. He wasn't sure if it was really considered to be bad news though. She might actually enjoy it. He, on the other hand, didn't. It was a decision he was completely torn about. It was killing him, but he knew he had to be a bigger man and deal.

She sighed. _Of course. Why would he be there for anything else?_ He didn't miss her; she cursed herself for even thinking that for a second. He wasn't there to try to win her over, to fight for her. Why would she even fathom that idea?

She stepped aside letting him walk into her small humble home. It really wasn't much but it was hers and she loved it. She made it her home, it was the only place she felt complete and comfortable in. The only place where she allowed herself to let down her guard and simply be. However Derek crossing into this safe haven, her domain, and now it was simply chaos. But she knew there wasn't much of an option. She would behave, and obviously he had no problem doing so. It would be fine…right?

He settled himself snugly onto her perfectly white love seat which fit perfectly into her small living room. No, it wasn't his recliner but it did the job. He hadn't been to Casey's apartment often. He often stayed away from one-on-one situations between them. But yet here they were, and he had no one to blame but himself.

"What is it?" She asked from across the room. She wouldn't let herself be near him. She treated him like he was contagious. Honestly, her heart was slamming across her chest and her legs felt like jello. But she was a pretty good actress so she ignored all her symptoms and pretended to be a cold-heart bitch. Yeah, that could work.

Before he could convince himself otherwise he spoke the words he had been contemplating for the last few days. He watched her closely making sure he didn't miss the reaction that his words would have on her. "You're uninvited to the wedding." He spoke easily. As if it was no big deal.

"What?" She yelled, completely thrown off guard.

She hadn't even decided she was even going to be quite honest. She burned the invitation the day it came. Of course that wasn't until after she memorized every last detail engraved onto that small piece of gold trimmed paper. She had the perfect dress for the occasion as well. But she was still debating whether she would actually go. But having him sit there in her living room with a smug look on his face telling her she no longer had an option, that she was uninvited all together…that was just wrong. She was his stepsister after all; part of the family. She was supposed to sit on the groom's side of the church and hate every last second of it. It was almost as if she wanted to torture herself by sitting through the ceremony.

"Don't shoot the messenger." He said holding up his hands in a surrendering pose. Although the stupid smirk on his face said otherwise. He enjoyed doing this to her. He was hoping she'd actually care, just to get a rise out of her. However he wasn't sure it would even affect her in the slightest bit.

"Why?" She asked. What had she done in the last few weeks to get uninvited? Well besides sleep with the groom. But that couldn't be the reason…could it?

"Yeah. I moaned your name in bed. You were DQed on the spot." He shrugged. Nothing out of the ordinary there, right? Of course he was lying though. He had done no such thing. It was just that, well he couldn't have her at the wedding. It was too much of a risk. He wouldn't be able to stop thinking about her when he was supposed to swear his life to another woman. No, it was too dangerous. It had to end right then and there. Which is why he came…to say goodbye, properly.

"YOU WHAT?" She yelled. No. No no no no no. Was he mental? How hard was it to forget? (Not that she was doing a good job at it either, but at least she was single!) Why couldn't he just be a man about it? Now Allie knew. She knew something was up with the pair. Maybe he didn't tell her what _actually_ happened, but if it was enough to get her kicked out of the wedding there were indeed some hard feelings between the two girls. How awkward was that? Stupid Derek. It was all his fault.

"Yeah. She wasn't exactly fond of you before. And after that…well yeah. She doesn't want you around." He lied easily, shaking his head to add to his act. Nothing of the sort actually happened. Sure he may have been thinking about Casey while being with his fiancé, but he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.

"I can't believe you Derek. What part of nothing happened was so hard for you to understand?" She spoke softly. She wasn't even yelling, and that in itself was a bad sign. It meant that she wasn't freaking out, she was breaking down. She slowly started to pace the living room, shaking her head of its thoughts as she mumbled words to herself. Mostly cursing him to hell.

He watched her closely, trying to hold back his laughter at first. He loved making her lose her cool. He missed it even. It had been a while. Once more for old times' sake couldn't hurt. But then it hit him how bad she was reacting. "I couldn't help it." He added with a smirk. He couldn't tell her he was lying now. He was already in too deep. He had already made the decision. He could only try to sooth her dramatics.

"So I'm not invited?" She asked looking up from the ground with sad droopy eyes. It was the ultimate insult. She couldn't believe it.

"Nope." He said quietly. He really didn't expect it to hurt her. He honestly thought if it bothered her, she'd freak. Full on Casey meltdown. Throwing things and hitting him.

Not this, never this.

"Okay. Well thanks for telling me, I guess. You can go now." She said, taking his hand and pulling him off of her couch. She needed him out. Out of her house. She wasn't sure how long she could hold back the tears. But touching him, even just holding his hand was pushing her to the limit faster and faster. Not her brightest idea, no. But could you blame her? She needed to break down. But breaking down in front of him was not an option. He couldn't see how deeply the situation was affecting her. He wasn't allowed to know that it was _more_ than sexual. It was emotional. Deep rooted feelings that had laid between them since the very beginning. Something she had just started realizing. Clearly she had yet to come to terms with it. He didn't have to know.

Being that he was almost twice her size he didn't move when she pulled him. And lets be honest, Casey wasn't the strongest girl. And being that he's Derek and wasn't aware of where her thoughts were, he pulled on her hand, pulling her down. She did her best to regain composure but failed like the klutz that she would always be. She stumbled and fell into his lap with a huff. "Hey." He breathed out, inches away from her face.

No. Absolutely not. No way in hell.

What had she done to deserve such a fate? He wasn't allowed to do that. But she couldn't move. Her thoughts and emotions were already on a roller coaster. It was hard enough to keep her physical state composed. She closed her eyes tightly but not because she was expecting anything from him. She knew from firsthand experience how much of a tease Derek was. She did it to hold back the tears. She was fighting her body tooth and nail. Begging it to hold on just for a few more minutes. Her thoughts were cut off absurdly when her body was stunned.

He had done it. He had leaned forward, studied her face, her pained expression which nearly broke his heart. He bit his tongue, making sure he didn't speak. There was nothing he could say that would make any of this right or better.

They were fucked really.

Once more he let his instinct take over. He leaned into her and pressed his lips onto hers. _Goodbye Princess_ his thoughts spoke as they stayed there for what felt like forever. Neither making a move to deepen the kiss or to end it. It was a simple kiss obviously but it meant the world to him.

You see he realized he couldn't have her at the wedding. But it was more than that. He couldn't have her in his life. She was just…too much.

Eventually he found it in himself to move. He pulled back but refused to look at her. Because if he did, he'd be entranced by her once more. And it wouldn't stop at a kiss. So with that thought, he picked her up off his lap, gently making sure she was secure in his arm. He got up off the couch and placed her back on it as softly as he could. Her eyes remained closed, she didn't dare open them. She looked like she was sleeping. He smiled at the thought of her being at peace, even though he knew being around him was hell. He turned his back on her and made his way towards the door. Leaving her for what he thought would be the last time.

She didn't open her eyes until he was long gone. She couldn't watch him leave. When she did open her eyes, she only saw the ceiling above her. Her heart was still beating rapidly and her emotions more then frazzled. He should be illegal. The things that man could do with _one_simple kiss was truly indescribable. She let out a painful cry before the sob enveloped her. She clung to her body and the tears ran down from her eyes. They fell down the sides of her checks, she didn't bother wiping them away and they would only be replaced with a fresh batch. But they stung her. They burned. Her whole body hurt.

Eventually the sun set, reflecting beautiful colors into her living room from that small window behind her, but she didn't even notice. Soon after that her cries subsided and she found her way to a dreamless sleep. Right there curled up on her pristine white couch, she lay for hours completely broken. And she couldn't understand why.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<br>**So...erm, are you guys still reading? I'm really proud of this one so I would love to hear some feedback.  
>So please review, it would make me very, very happy =D<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

****The Bachelor**  
><strong>**Disclaimer:** I don't own LWD  
><strong>AN<strong>: Enjoy

* * *

><p><strong><strong>The Bachelor:<strong>  
>Chapter 5<strong>

**CPOV**

After what felt like days (but was really only hours) she woke up, picked herself off her couch and made herself a cup of tea. She needed it. Not only to calm her but because it was essential for her writing process. Because that was really the only way she could figure out exactly what the hell was wrong with her. Why was she so distrust about this? She did some analyzing to clear head. She made a few charts and wrote a few pros before reaching a conclusion.

The first being the she was finally coming to terms with her feelings for Derek and how deep they actually ran. Deeper than expected to be honest. No, it wasn't just lust. It wasn't about the sex (even though that was pretty good as well…). You see, that itty bitty piece of knowledge was enough to break her from her strongest point. She wasn't supposed to care, but she couldn't keep denying it… it would only tear her apart further. She was surprised how long she had been able to lie to herself... how high and strong her defense walls where when it came to him, it was amazing really.

The second was that it really killed her that Allie knew. She may not know details about the situation, hell they barely knew, but she knew it was enough for Derek to lust after Casey. If only that were it though...if only it were just lust like Casey convinced herself it was. But it wasn't. It was much more. But the fact that Allie knew made the guilt burn just a bit hotter than before. It wasn't a secret they were trying to keep from themselves anymore. It was a fact, amongst more than two people. It was reality now, something she couldn't take back.

The next conclusion was that kiss…that stupid fucking kiss. Why did he have to do that? They weren't supposed to act that way. Nothing happened. They were supposed to go back to normal without any lingering thoughts in the back of their minds. Not going around kissing each other like it was normal. That was not appropriate!

And the last conclusion, well that one mainly came from her wounded ego. They were both 23 years old, at their prime and who was the one getting married? Derek. She didn't even have a prospect lineup for her future spouse! It was wrong and not how their life was supposed to play out.

She sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. Crying had giving her one hell of a headache, and her discoveries...well they weren't exactly helping either. What was she to do? Could she really just disappear, not show up to the wedding and hope everything would fade away? The thing was though; she couldn't erase the sight of him with the smug smile telling her she was uninvited. It was haunting her. Almost like he was telling her that he had won their unspoken game. And that simply wouldn't do.

Games between Derek and Casey weren't new. The second something was off limits, taboo, banned, etc. they craved it with every fiber of their being. He had no idea what he started. She wasn't invited to the wedding? That was fine. But it didn't mean she wouldn't be there. And she would. She would find a loophole and weasel her way into his life the way she wasn't supposed to be.

And that was that.

.*.*.*.*.*.

The dreaded day of _his wedding _had finally arrived day. Those words echoed inside her head; taunting her, reminding her of what would happen. She knew it wasn't going to be easy to just sit through the ceremony, it was going to burn. Every word spoken in that ceremony was going to tear her to the ground. But she would endure it. Because deep down she knew she had to see it to believe it. To make sure it wasn't some prank he was pulling. To make sure it happened. To tell herself that whatever it was that she was feeling for him simply had to disappear because he would be a taken man. She wasn't allowed to lust after him. She wasn't allowed to feel anything more than what a proper stepsister would feel.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was beautiful in a silk champagne colored skin-tight dress that reached her mid-thigh. It was simple but it had just the right amount of appeal. Being that she was so in love with the fit she hadn't noticed that the color was a bit too close to white for a wedding. It was so close actually, you'd think she was the bride, (an untraditional bride, but one none the less). It's not that she didn't like the bride-to-be (she actually would have loved her, if it wasn't for Derek), she just didn't like the fact that Derek liked her…liked her enough to marry her in fact. But she would accept it, she was forcing herself to accept it actually.

A knock at her front door brought her back to earth. Enough about that, it was time to go. She smiled at her reflection before exiting. Her date had arrived…and she wouldn't dare keep him waiting.

* * *

><p><strong>DPOV<strong>

Derek was… alright? Actually no that was the understatement of the year. He was nauseous. His palms were sweaty and he was sure he would ruin that very expensive suit. The church was still pretty empty as he sat waiting for the groomsmen in the back room. They were all there…all except for the best man. He had texted and called multiple times. You see, he loves his boys, Ralph, Edwin and a few of his college buds, but they couldn't quite handle the job of dealing with Derek. There's only so many variations of 'Dude, relax. It'll be fine,' that could be used in a situation. Not that it was doing any good.

The only thing that was holding Derek together was knowing that Sam had actually answered his phone and was on his way there. When he finally arrived he had one hell of job; keeping Derek sane was _no_ easy task. Obviously he was a mess. More than the normal mess that Sam was accustomed to dealing with in the locker room before games. It was a whole new level that Sam wasn't even use to.

When Derek wasn't doubled over a toilet throwing up water (because honestly there was no substance left to heave up), he was pacing back and forth burning a hole into the carpet. Sam shook his head in disbelief but got to work anyway. And it's safe to say that he worked his magic. A magic that only years of friendship could teach you. He pulled a few old tricks out of the bag and hoped it was enough to get Derek to the altar.

It seemed to be enough because after about 15 minutes of speeches and death threats, Derek walked to the alter where he watched the small church start to fill up. He had about 30 minutes left of his single life.

He was actually in a sane state of mind when he spotted her. His thoughts were pure and happy before that. But then he saw her walking down the aisle. For a split second he wished it were _her_ he was marrying. She looked beautiful. Simple and elegant. She smirked up at him as she reached the end of the aisle, taking her seat next to Lizzie and Nora.

Eventually, when the shock of her appearance wore off a bit, he realized something…she was there, at his wedding. The same wedding she had previously been uninvited too. Yet there she was, sitting with the family in her rightful place, waiting for him to get married. He had no words. None at all. His mind couldn't form coherent thoughts. He didn't know what he was feeling. Scared, worried, mad? No idea. He just knew she couldn't be there. So he had no choice but to make his way towards her. Unsure of really what he was going to say.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed, trying not to disturb or alarm the rest of his family sitting close by.

"I'm a guest." She shrugged as if it were no big deal.

"No. You were uninvited!" He stated clearly, trying not to throw up again. This was bad, very bad.

"Yeah, I guess I was. However tonight I am a plus one." She smiled that dazzling smile of hers.

The little bit of remaining color drained from his face. Loophole. She found it. "Who's?" He dared ask her.

She stared back at him for a moment, enjoying the fact that for a split second she had his undivided attention. Eventually she gave in and spoke a name. A name he was sure to be cursing in a matter of seconds, but she didn't mind. "Sam." Her smile widened.

Those three letters made up a name, the name of his best friend…or **ex-**best friend as he had just decided. Because if he were a real friend, he would have made sure Casey stayed away. Far, far away. They didn't really talk about what happened the night of his bachelor party. But Sam knew, just like he knew pretty much everything.

He finally had the courage to look back into her eyes. He had no words. No words at all. So he turned around and walked away.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<br>**I wasn't aware how sad the last chapter was until I read the reviews! But hopefully this made up for it. No, Casey refuses to fall into a depression! She plays dirty ;) Seems like Derek has rubbed off on the kneer, huh?

So, what do you think? Will he get cold feet now that she's there? Will he actually go through with it and marry Allie?

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN! (Dramatic movie music)  
>Stay tuned to find out!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

****The Bachelor**  
><strong>**Disclaimer:** I don't own LWD  
><strong>AN<strong>: Enjoy

* * *

><p><strong><strong>The Bachelor:<strong>  
>Chapter 6<strong>

This wasn't even bad. It wasn't horrible. No, it was simply impossible. He refused to believe it that she was there, at his wedding, manipulating him with such ease. Stuff like that just didn't happen. Yet it was.

"SAM!" he yelled stomping about the church in hopes to locate his friend who would soon be six feet under.

Sam knew it was coming. But he knew it had to be done. If Derek could stand at the altar and say 'I do' to his bride whilst having Casey there... then he really did love Allie. But sadly, Sam wasn't too convinced he did. He didn't want his best friend making a mistake. But he knew Derek. He couldn't just tell him "Dude, I think you're marrying the wrong girl." No. With Derek the hands on approach was the only thing that seemed to work. And well, it was very hands on.

And so he waited the storm that was coming his way.

"How could you?" Derek spoke shaking his head. This was just too much. As if he wasn't having enough to deal with prior to the Princess's appearance. He knew weddings were stressful, but he figured all he had to do was stand at the altar and say 'I do,' when it was time. Not this, never this. He wouldn't have signed up for it if he had known.

"I don't see what the big deal is." Sam shrugged leaning against the nearest wall.

"You know what happened between us. You know I uninvited her. So why, why would you do this to me?" Derek asked genuinely hurt. Because this was what he was avoiding. The freak out he thought he'd save himself from by uninviting her.

"It's just Casey, Derek." Sam sighed nonchalantly. Yeah, right.

"It's just Casey? NO! You of all people know that is not 'Just Casey.' Casey herself is enough to-" Derek spoke quickly, his voice getting louder and louder with each word he spoke.

"Enough to?" Sam dared ask. He knew he was egging Derek on, but there was no other way around it.

"Enough to stop my wedding." Derek muttered running a hand into his hair. He leaned against the adjacent wall and slid down to the floor into a slump. He was a mess. Worse than he had been an hour ago due to mere wedding jitters. This was worse, deeper.

"And why would that be?" Sam said taking a seat next to his best friend.

"I don't know." Derek whispered to himself.

"Oh, but I think you do." Same urged him to do on.

"You're sick Sam. Why are you doing this to me now?" he asked looking up from the ground.

"I'm not doing anything to you, Derek. You're doing it to yourself. Having her here is tearing you a part. And you really need to ask yourself why."

"Because I slept with her." Derek admitted. As if Sam didn't know. But the tone of his voice, it was sad, like he knew it was the wrong thing to do. But he couldn't distinguish why it was wrong. Was it because he cheated on Allie, or was it because it just reestablished feelings he wished to forget?

"Really? So is it killing you that Emily is here? How about Kendra? And the rest of your exs?" Sam teased with a playful smile. He wasn't enjoying his bestfriend's pain, but he was happy they were getting somewhere. A breakthrough, finally. After years he was so close to admitting it for once in his life.

"That's different." Derek argued.

"Why?" She asked. Waiting for the he had known for years.

"Because I never really loved any of them…" he whispered to himself, hitting his head against the wall behind him. Those words absolutely gutted him. He had finally admitted it to himself, and to his best friend. Which was pretty much the same thing if you think about it. So, he sorta kinda loved Casey.

"Well ding ding ding. We have a winner." Sam spoke sarcastically clapping to add some dramatic effect.

Derek was not amused. "What am I suppose to do now?" he asked looking up at Sam like a lost puppy. He was so broken, so confused.

Sam pitied him for a moment. Maybe he should stop being so happy about the revelation. Maybe he should deal with the broken Derek instead." I wouldn't worry about it too much." Sam assured him in a softer more gentle voice.

"Whys that?" Derek asked in a breath, almost chuckling to himself about his interesting predicament. Leave it to Casey to ruin his wedding. Unintentional or not.

"The maid of honor dropped this off for you." he said before placing a small envelop into his hands. He knew it wasn't good knew. Jamie wasn't even dressed when she stopped by minutes ago. Sure her hair was done up but her makeup was ruined due to what he figured were tears. And if she was crying well…The contents of that letter didn't seem so bright.

"Allie's sister…" Sam explained to Dereks curious eyes.

Derek ripped open the letter and pulled out its contents. A little note written in her perfect handwriting. It brought a little smile to his lips, he should be thinking of her, not Casey. This was good, progress. But was it too late?

_Dear Derek,_

_I tried writing this letter about five times now, my hands all cramped up I'm tried of repeating the words over and over. So here goes it…You're not going to go through with this wedding, let's be honest. You can fight me tooth and nail but at the end of the day your heart isn't in it. You may love me, as I love you, but I wasn't ever your number one. I was always second best. I don't know who your first priority was. Maybe Sally? Maybe another girl you never spoke about? I don't know. But I knew this from the very beginning. Silly me to think I could actually you over there. Such a girl, huh? I thought I finally had you when you proposed. But once more, I was wrong._

_Even if you did go through with it, I couldn't._

_I'm sorry to do this to you now._

_With all the Love I have,_  
><em>Allie<em>

He stared down at the paper confused. So, she had gotten cold feet. She called it off. He wasn't sure what to think. His ego was too sore to rejoice his new found freedom. He had just been left at the altar. By an amazing women. She knew...she always knew. And he had cheated on her too. Well, wasn't he the world's biggest jerk?

"She's not coming." He said almost like a question. As if he didn't understand what her words meant. He cocked his head to the side looking up at Sam to guide him and pull him back to reality.

Sam shook his head no. He put a hand on Derek's head and messed up Derek's perfect bed head hair in a encouraging manner. He almost wanted to say 'Afraid not little guy." But he chose not to. Derek was already feeling low enough as it was, he didn't need to be belittle like that.

Derek barley noticed. He sighed realizing he had the job of going back out there and tell everyone that wedding was off. It was the least he could do for her. Even if it was embarrassing. Sam gave him another encouraging nod and with that Derek got up, literally dusted himself off and walked out there.

* * *

><p>He walked out slowly center stage. Al's family had started filling in her side of the church as well. This was going to be fun. "Erm...Excuse Me." he called gaining everyone's attention. His voice not as strong as it usually was, his family noticing it right away. They knew something was wrong.<p>

Casey stomach dropped. She wasn't sure why, but she knew it was bad news. Maybe it was the look in his eyes, the way he looked like he was about to cry. He looked like a little kid looking for his mom in the crowed which was weird. Derek never looked lonely or unsure of himself. He always walked around like he owned the place, so this was something very unnerving.

He bit his lip unsure of how exactly to say it. Maybe he should have thought about that before getting up there. But then his eyes landed on Casey and all he wanted was to get out of there. But hey whatever motivation works, right? "I don't know exactly how to say this but uh...the weddings off. She's not coming," he started scratching the back of his neck looking down feeling his face heat up. "So...I'm sorry. But, you're welcome to go and enjoy the reception. It's all played for and well I don't know about you but I now I need a drink. And an open bar seems pretty good right now." he chuckled nervously. No one else laughed. "So yeah...sorry." he muttered before turning around and walking towards the back room. He did his best not to catch anyone else's eyes because at the moment he felt worthless and couldn't really deal with anything else.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<br>**I don't know what you're thinking unless you review!

So, were you expecting that? I hope not, you know i love throwing you guys off =)


	7. Chapter 7

****The Bachelor**  
><strong>**Disclaimer:** I don't own LWD  
><strong>AN<strong>: Enjoy

* * *

><p><strong><strong>The Bachelor:<strong>  
>Chapter 7<strong>

Derek was enjoying the quite around him. He knew it wouldn't last long. He'd have some explaining to do, questions to answer and people to deal with. None of which he was ready for just yet. Which is why when her voice broke his silence he mentally cringed.

"Thought I'd find you here." Came Casey voice from behind him.

He turned around to see her walking towards him. Her appearance once more felt like a punch in the gut. "How?" he managed asked. He was sitting on the hood of the Prince in front of the lake near the Venturi- McDonald residence.

She smiled. "Haven't you realized that I know everything?" she asked, thinking he would crack a joke or insult her intelligence. Anything. But she got nothing. He stared back at her with a blank face which deflated her smile.

"Here." she said throwing a small paper bag into his lap once she reached his side.

He inspected it confused. "What's this?" he asked looking up at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Substance. You can't drink on an empty stomach." She shrugged.

Bless her heart. Not only did she know exactly where to find him when he didn't want to be found, but she also knew what he'd be doing, and what he needed. Food! But then again, he was always up for food. "How'd you know I'd be drinking?"

She scuffed. "Come on Venturi. Give me a little credit. I know you." She replied her hands finding their place on her hips. Her battle stance. But once more, he didn't give. Well…this sucked. Moody Derek was no fun to play with.

"Thanks." He muttered before taking a bite of the greasy goodness of the cheese burger he had in his hands.

She sighed unsure of how to comfort him. She should have just let Sam deal with him. She was just about to sit next to him on the hood when he stopped her abruptly shaking his head no. She looked up at him confused, and a little bit offended. That was until he shrugged out of his fancy suit jacket and placed it over the hood for her to sit on top of. She hid a smile and nodded a thank you as he continued to eat his burger in peace.

"You know, I'm no expert or anything but I thought the brides the only one allowed to wear white." He finally said after putting down two burgers, suddenly craving a third.

"She is." She said turning to look at him. He had a bit of ketchup on the corner of his lips. She leaned closer to him and whipped it off with her thumb. They locked eyes and smiled at each other. In any other situation this would be the moment right before a kiss. But this wasn't a normal situation.

Although he enjoyed the moment, it wouldn't be right. He pulled away from her hand gently clearing his throat hopping it wouldn't become too awkward. "Then why are you?" He asked suddenly remembering what he was saying.

"This isn't white." She rolled her eyes. He was colorblind sometimes."It's champagne," she said with a smug smile thinking she had just corrected him. She loved that feeling. When he'd slip up and she had a perfect in that would shut him up.

"Maybe the white bubbly part of the Champaign my dear." He argued giving her the 'you're ridiculous' stare.

She remained quiet for a second realizing he actually fought back. It didn't feel right though. Not genuine, forced almost. He really must be hurting… She looked down at the dress in question. In the direct sunlight it did look rather, well white. "I didn't realize…" she muttered to herself fingering the fabric.

"You look good." He told her, barley even surveying her body. He didn't have to. He remembered from their brief encounter that morning. She looked breath taking, but what else is new? Which is why he put his jacket over the hood before she sat. She looked too pretty to have her dress ruined by the dirt and grime that covered The Princes hood.

She wasn't sure how to take the compliment. Was he being sarcastic, honest or just trying to shut her up? "Thanks?" she asked.

He responded with an obnoxious loud burp. From all the beer he must have guzzled down she figured. But he didn't seem too drunk yet.

Still a Neanderthal, she though. She shook her head, just a bit amused with the situation. This wasn't how it was suppose to be. She was supposed to be sitting in his wedding reception looking miserable. Not staring at the scenery with him on top of The Prince. "So…what happened?" she finally had the guts to ask. Why weren't they sticking to the plan?

"Casey, I really don't want to talk about it." he sighed running a hand through his hair uncomfortable. Obviously he didn't. That's why he was there alone avoiding the world and its questions. But Casey managed to be the exception. The only exception to be exact. He even kicked Sam out. But he couldn't tell her to leave. Because she wouldn't first off. She was too stubborn and she never listened to him. And secondly because well, he didn't actually hate her company. She wasn't too bad- not that he'd tell her that!

"But you are. So spill." She begged him, nudging his shoulder playfully.

He wasn't going to dare explain it. So he resorted to option number two. He fished Allies note out of his pocket gently placing it on Casey's lap. He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. The note said it all.

Casey opened it just as carefully as he had given it to her. She reread it a few times, fully taking in what it said. "Who's the other girl?" she finally asked quietly.

"What?" he asked coming back to reality. His thoughts were elsewhere as he stared out into the lake.

"The other girl Allie was talking about. Your number one." She clarified. She was unsure who it could be as well. Derek never had that 'one girl' he always went back to or always had a sweet spot for. If he cared about her, he was with her. Derek didn't dwell on any one so she thought.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"Oh come on Derek. You've gotta know!" she kept pushing, hopping he'd just tell her and save her hours of trying to figure it out on her own.

He shrugged. He wasn't going to answer the question. He honestly wasn't sure. I mean, yeah, he had his suspicions, but he didn't want them to be confirmed or denied. He wasn't ready for that yet. So he changed topics all together."Hey, what are you doing tonight?" he asked her hopeful.

"Well, I had this wedding to go to. But, I think I might be free. Why, what'd you have in mind?" she asked biting her lip.

"I don't wanna be alone tonight. I don't wanna think…you know?" he asked her with all honesty.

She nodded because she did know. She knew the power of silence and the toll it took on her mentally and emotionally. She too would be in trouble if she went home alone. If she let herself muddle over who his other girl was. If she let her thoughts drift she'd be in danger."Yeah, I know." She whispered with a soft nod. She knew the feeling very well.

"Lets go do something?" he offered genuinely. He couldn't think of anyone else he rather waste time with. He missed her, and he knew she'd make him forget all about his troubles (even if she did sort of cause them.) After she got over the whole 'who's this other girl' thing that is. But he had ways of shutting her up. And he would use them if necessary. So really, it was a win-win situation. Although he wouldn't want Casey to feel like the rebound girl.

She thought about it for a few seconds. Spending time with Derek was just as dangerous. But he was hurting, he was only human. She would be there for him, even if that only hurt her more. "As long as I get to change out of this dress." she smiled.

He nodded in agreement as they watched the sun fade into the horizon peacefully.

* * *

><p>He let himself wander around her apartment taking in every little detail that made it clearly Casey's. There was an obnoxious clean feeling he got the second he walked in. Everything was spotless. It was too clean really. He would have to do something about that. So he easily kicked off his annoying dress shoes in her doorway, threw his dirty black suit jacket on to a couch and let his tie fall wherever it may. After that he felt good enough to venture through the rest of her apartment.<p>

It was so... Casey. Like the way the inside of her kitchen cabinet doors had labels on them telling you exactly what you'd find inside. Or the way her dvds were organized by genera, then title. There was really nothing exciting in the bathroom. Like the rest of her house it was pristine, clean and white. Except for the teal and gold accent which she decorated with. Once again he felt that tingling sensation that made him prank her. He needed to add something to her perfect bathroom. So, he put the toilet seat up and emptied out all the beers he had been guzzling down. He didn't even bother putting the seat back down or flushing, just because he needed to hear that wonderful screeching sound that was his name, split up into two syllables fly out of her lips. And everything would be right in the world. Or at least that's what he was telling himself.

After he had seen every corner of her house except for her room he thought it was safe to enter her real domain; her bedroom. It wasn't hard, her door has more than halfway open, and it almost looked like an invitation to be honest. But maybe he should have knocked because he found her in a halfway state of undressed. She wore a pair of very closely fitted skinny jeans and a simple white bra as she surveyed her closet closely, clearly upset with her options.

"Jeez case." He breathed out scratching the back of his neck unsure if he was allowed to look or not. He turned halfway away from her taking in the other details of her bedroom. Anything but her body.

She didn't bother putting up a fight or kicking him out. He had seen her before, what difference did it make now? If anything, now it was ok being that he was once again single.

"What?" she asked as she continued digging through her closet looking for something presentable to wear. Why did it have to be laundry day?

He didn't response however he did find himself falling onto her more than plush bed. It looked way too comfortable with all its fluffed pillows and warm comforter. "Nothing." He whispered eyes dropping already. "Come here." He muttered, beckoning her to him.

She stopped her search and looked up at him instantly. He was calling her to the bed? What was he suggesting? "Der…" she started her voice clearly faltering, unsure of what to say. No, would be the obvious answer. But denying Derek Venturi is easier said than done.

"Just a nap Case. It's been a long day." He added. "I had to be up by 6:30...in the morning! I didn't even know that existed!" he whined.

She smiled at him. So childish he was. She slowly made her way closer towards him chewing on her bottom lip, biting back a laugh. In a normal state she would have put some clothes on first, but the fact that he was on her bed... On _her_ side of the bed, was enough to start a fight. And when she reached him she shoved him, hard.

"What was that for?" he laughed rolling onto the other side of her giant king sized bed. Why did she need all this space? She was a small girl, a bed that big needed two occupants.

"Don't try to nap on my side." She huffed pretending to be mad. Clearly it wasn't working.

He looked up at her for a moment, gaining all her attention before grabbing her waist, pulling her down into his arms, on her side of the bed of course. She giggled. They were acting like teenagers again. She missed this.

His arms were comfortable. She hadn't noticed it before. His body wasn't that hard; he didn't feel like stone. But he was nice knowing she was safe there. And so they sleep.

Until nightfall came and her lack of clothing became a problem. She sneaked out of bed to find them a blanket. She took the time to really look at him. He still wore his dress pants and a wrinkled white button up. Not exactly the best sleeping attire. She wanted to make him comfortable but she knew there was no way of doing so without waking him.

After finding herself a shirt she threw the blanket over their bodies and cuddled up right back in his arms where they wouldn't move till sunrise.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Ok, I need to be honest. I struggled so damn hard on the first part of this scene. It wasn't even writer's block! I knew exactly what I wanted to happen, had the whole things played out in my head perfectly. But getting it down on paper (or in this case computer) was the hardest things ever. Actually spent hours working on that part. To the point where I chose to clean my room instead of dealing with it at midnight…Yeah, that's really something right there. So I really really really hope it came out ok!

So, 5 readers, please** review **this madness!


	8. Chapter 8

****The Bachelor**  
><strong>**Disclaimer:** I don't own LWD  
><strong>AN<strong>: I would say "Enjoy" like I normally do. Except you wont. You guys are going to kill me, but I had to. I'm sorry!

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><p><strong>The Bachelor:<br>Chapter 8 **

"Does your family hate me now?" she asked softly.

There were many things that were buzzing around Allie's mind. Obviously a lot of it had to do with Derek himself, but she was worried about the other stuff. Like if every Venturi wanted her dead. They loved her, at least she thought they did. They had never said one bad word about her...to her knowledge of course. But Marti gave her the stamp of approval which was essential for Derek to even think about proposing!

He cracked a small smile. It would be something she would worry about. "No," he responded. But then he thought about it. They might... "Well, to be honest I have no idea." He breathed out. "I haven't really spoken to any of them. I wanted to be alone." He admitted eyes downcast. He didn't exactly want to admit it to Allie that he had been in a slump. It was his ego's defense mechanism naturally.

"Yeah?" She asked a bit worried. She knew Derek. He was barely ever alone. He was always surrounded by people whether it be adoring fans trying to get his autograph, his boys on the ice, his friends hanging around drinking a beer or his family, simply laughing around enjoying each other's company.

"Yeah, after I broke the news at the church, I kind of disappeared. Everyone wanted to talk to me and talking was the last thing I wanted to do. I drove out to the lake for some peace and quiet, but of course that's not what I got." He laughed at the memory. Casey always seemed to find him.

"What did you get?" She asked confused.

"Casey brought me a burger." He laughed. "She knew I'd be drinking on an empty stomach." He shrugged.

It was always strange to talk about Casey with Allie. It was forbidden in his eyes. Those two were always to be kept as far away from each other as possibly. Ever since the beginning.

At first it wasn't hard, Casey and him barely interacted on campus. But once things got serious and she started meeting his family, well Casey was bound to be in the mix. By then he was scared Casey would scare Allie off. Tell her how much of a pig he was and such. It was strange to see Casey as a threat, but he really loved Allie and he didn't want to mess things up. However he didn't realize that the only way Casey could mess things up between them would be making him fall for her again...which she had managed to do anyway. Ruining his master plans was a usual day for her it seemed.

"Aww, that was nice of her." Allie smiled genuinely. She never really got to know Casey. Sure short little conversations at family parties and dinners but that was it. Derek barely ever mentioned her, she didn't really want to question it. She figured they just never got along when the family merged. Of course she had heard stories. Like the party where they got locked in the bathroom…

"Yeah… But then I was afraid to be alone." He mumbled, obviously not too proud of himself. He sighed throwing himself back onto his couch, his feet landing in her lap; a usual position for the pair.

"What do you mean?" Allie questioned, not exactly sure what he was getting at.

"I just couldn't be alone. The silence was too loud. So I hung out with Casey that night." He said throwing his arm over his face blocking his view. He wasn't sure how she'd take it. It was clear they were having a pleasant break up, too _good_ actually. It almost felt like they were still together. Like nothing at all had changed.

Allie remained quiet for a second. The way he worded it, it implied something else. So she had to ask. "Did you sleep with her?" It would bother her a bit, yes…but only because she truly loved Derek and seeing him move on, the same night of their break up, that would hurt any girl.

"Yes and no." He replied with a wince. Why couldn't he just lie? He blamed Allie. She was just too good to him…She would probably forgive him too. "I mean yes we literally slept together. But not sex, not that night." He explained.

She tried her best not to act surprised or upset. She was now his ex, she wasn't supposed to care about who he was sleeping with, but so soon after their break up, and possibly during their relationship, that was something completely different. She couldn't simply ignore it. "Not that night. So, you have slept with her before?"

"Yeah." He breathed out. "Once." He had to admit it. He had to tell Allie. She was just far too good of a person to keep things from. But maybe that was the problem. Maybe she was _too_ good. Not crazy or neurotic enough for him…

"Wow…" She breathed out looking away from him. She took a moment to gather her thoughts. He had slept with Casey...was that why he always kept them apart? When had that even happened? Honestly from all the stories she heard, she really shouldn't be surprised. Maybe if she would have seen them in action a bit more she could see it, but all she really had was stories to go off so it was still hard to take. She got up from the couch and walked towards the window. She needed more air.

He sat up a bit worried about what she was thinking. She wasn't like Casey. He couldn't read her like a book. She didn't feel the need to discuss everything. She believed in hiding a bit, it added to her mystery. She thought it had an allure or something. "No, it's not like that. She's mental and thought that it would help our whole lust situation." He tried to explain. He didn't realize he was digging himself deeper into a hole.

"Lust situation?" She added suddenly intrigued. Lust between Casey and Derek, huh...

"Unresolved sexual tension." He elaborated remembering her using the term at some point in her rant that night. She drove a hard bargain that girl.

"Did it?"

"Not exactly…" He replied shaking his head. Yeah, he was definitely digging his own grave. He really shouldn't be telling Allie this, but he was.

It was a lot to take in. Especially about a girl whose presences was almost nonexistent during the span of their relationship. But she was starting to piece it all together. If the sex didn't resolve the lust, it wasn't lust…it was more. Suddenly it was all making sense. Why didn't she see it sooner? "So, it's Casey?" She asked, but it wasn't much of a question. In her mind it was made up. It was Casey. It had to be.

"Huh?" He asked confused.

"The girl…it's Casey." She repeated looking up at him with the doe eyes. They were a bit watery, but Allie, along with everyone else knew his no tears rule. Granted he had broken it quite a few times for her. She still had no intention of letting him see her cry.

"I don't think so." He lied easily. He couldn't flat out tell her _'Yeah, you know I was just thinking that!'_ No, that would be cruel. Although he felt the need to be honest with her, he had no intentions on completely ruining her.

"I'm not going to go all mental if you admit it, Derek. We're broken up. You're a single man now." She spoke with a soft smile and a slight chuckle. She was trying to lighten up the mood.

"I know Al…But I seriously don't know who this girl is." He sighed. He envied his teenage years. Things were so simple then compared to now where he was dealing with two women who he was completely and desperately in love with.

"Are you sureeee?" She asked getting the devious look in her eye. "Don't make me get it out of you Derek." She smirked up at him. And just like that she was done with the sappy broken-hearted bit. He had to give in to her, she was doing a really good job in trying to keep it together. She didn't break down often.

"As if you could." He flirted back. He too rather be done with the emotional bit.

She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, scrapping her teeth over it roughly before pouncing. She jumped from her spot near the window into his arms, tackling him. They fell to the floor in a rather compromising position, but that wasn't new between them. Her legs were straddled over his hips, her hands on his chest, her dark hair hung like a curtain around them. She smiled down at him with that lustful look he knew far too well. He reached up and cupped her face dipping his thumbs into her dimple as he did many times before. She closed her eyes and relished in his touch; she knew she wouldn't feel it anymore. She leaned down towards him, her lips skimming his in hopes he'd make the move.

"Al," he groaned almost painfully.

She opened her eyes to look at him. A rejected expression etched across her face.

"Can I...?" He asked. A question he hadn't asked her in years.

And with that she smiled returned and she nodded. He slowly closed the gap between them and kissed her properly. His arms pulling her body even closer to his. Roaming. Grabbing every part of her. He was acting as if he hadn't kissed her in years.

Eventually she pulled back pulling his bottom lip with her.

"God I'm going to miss you." He moaned looking into her chocolate eyes. "Stay?" He asked because it was worth a try.

"Don't tempt me Der-" she said placing her head on his chest, listening to the scattered beat for awhile.

They laid there on the floor for about an hour. He held her close, rubbing her back, pulling her closer every few minutes as if she had moved. She would occasionally kiss his chest through the fabric of his shirt. They ended up on the floor often so it wasn't really strange.

"Der," she finally spoke, breaking the music that became their breathing and heart rates.

"Hmm?" He asked running his fingers through her dark brown locks.

"Not that I'm complaining, but… your house is really clean" She noted. It was weird. It was usually a mess.

"Yeah…Casey came over and cleaned everything. It's kind of her thing." He explained. Once the words slipped out of his mouth he regretted them. He shouldn't be mentioning Casey at a time like this but she had asked.

Allie picked her head off his chest and sat up on her knees, hovering over his stomach. She looked down on him with her hands on her hips like a dictator ruling a kingdom. She had that scary determined look in her eyes that had scared him a few times in the pasted.

"What?" He asked, bring his hands to her hips, holding her in place. The wrong move could change things drastically.

"Make it happen Derek." She spoke, the usual sweetness that laced her voice suddenly gone. She was harsh, demanding and well, kind of sexy. But it reminding him too much of Casey so he couldn't even be bothered to make a move.

"What?" He asked, trying to figure out what she was going on about now.

"I didn't give you up so you can end up with a Barbie doll. I gave you up so you can end up with her. That girl. And it's painfully clear who this girl is. Why are you fighting it so hard?" She asked, her voice a bit huskier and angered than before.

"Why are you alright with this?" He countered quickly. It was slightly frustrating. He knew he had no right to be upset, he should be groveling for forgiveness. But the fact that she was so open and okay about it just made his guilt burn hotter.

She looked up at him, cocking her head to the side, trying to get a better perspective. "Because I love you." She replied so simply. Why else?

"Al," he groaned closing his eyes. He didn't deserve her. He never deserved her. Which is probably why subconsciously he let Casey do her thing. Because even if he didn't mess up then, he would of messed up somewhere down the line and hurt her even more. He was a fuck up, it was what he did. She never really got to see that side of him because when it came to her, he was on his best behavior; walking on eggshells and trying to keep her around. Casey on the other hand was fully aware of the real chaos that he truly was.

"Here." She said teary eyed, slipping her ring off her ring finger gently. She inspected it, making sure it was just as perfect as it was the day he gave it to her. One of the best days of her life.

He opened his eyes to watch her. "No." He wouldn't accept it. This was one argument she wasn't winning. She was leaving him, he would let her. But the ring, he would never accept.

"Derek..." She groaned. Why did he have to make this harder than it was? Couldn't he take the damned thing and end it already?

"No!" He yelled, cupping her face into his large hands. "No," he repeated in a calmer voice, hoping that it would get through to her.

"But-" she started.

He cut her off. "No. Taking that off is like... like saying I don't love you. And I do, honestly. I wouldn't say it if I didn't, I'm not that horrible." He explained a bit offended to be honest.

"But it also says I'm engaged to be married." She countered.

And with that he smiled. He easily slid the beautiful diamond engagement ring finger on her right hand gently. Kissing her small fingers in the process. She was rather tiny, he always had to be careful and delicate with her. "Problem fixed." He said with a genuine smile. The first one in the last few days.

She looked down at him with tears in her eyes once more. That was it. It was over. They were done.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong>

Welp! That was another hard one. But hopefully it came out okay...

Okay, I know you guys hate Allie; therefore you probably hated this chapter. But think about it for a second. Do you real think Derek would marry a total and complete bitch? Relax though; this is in fact a Dasey story, so no need to worry about Allie and Derek getting back together or anything!

Review? (But don't kill me!)

Ps. Reviews on the last chapter were amazing!


	9. Chapter 9

**The Bachelor  
>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own LWD  
><strong>AN<strong>: ...Enjoy? At least _try_ to!

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><p><strong>The Bachelor:<br>****Chapter 9**

She hadn't heard from him in a few days. No one had. But she did know that Allie was supposed to come over last week. It worried her a bit. Was Derek ready to deal with her yet? Granted Derek didn't act like he was fragile and hurting. He did his best to put on a brave face and act like nothing had happened but he was still screening his calls and avoiding the subject altogether. Casey knew better though but she didn't want to push it.

But then again, she is Casey so at some point she had to push.

After a week of no communication with Derek, Casey thought it was time to intervene.

She really shouldn't be judging him though. She hadn't had much interaction with anyone else either. She would wake up, go to work, and try to get things done (while looking at her phone every five minutes, hoping he'd call). She'd then drag herself home and do it all over again the next day. She avoided her family as well. They knew something had happened between her and Derek. Something _had_ to because she was the only one getting through to him since the wedding fiasco.

She sighed, not even wanting to think about her family. What would they say if they found out she slept with Derek…let alone was painfully in love with him as well?

She didn't let her mind dwell too much on them. She couldn't get Derek off her mind. Why hadn't he called? Why hadn't he reached out and let her know he was okay? Granted they were never best friends, ever. But she thought they had bonded after the wedding. They hung out all the next day. She even crashed at his bachelor pad (while doing a bit of redecorating, you know packing away all of Allie's stuff. She didn't want him to deal with it).

The thing that scared her most was that Derek didn't have any reason to deal with the outside world. He had time off for his honeymoon. And even though he never actually got married, his coach let it slide. He decided that Derek needed some time to himself.

She came over that day; ready for anything. She had everything she may need in the trunk of her car. She hesitated before knocking on his door. Should she really be there? Her of all people...? She begged Sam but he refused. He said that Derek told him off and that he'd come around eventually. The thing is Sam hadn't experienced heartbreak. Not like Derek...not like Casey. And she knew that Derek may say one thing, but he meant another. So that's why she stood there at his door, ready to brace whatever was on the other side. She gulped, raising her hand to the knocker and hit it three times.

She waited a minute or two, straining her ears to hear any movement on the other side of the door. Nothing. It was quiet. Too quiet. She knocked again, this time louder. She heard a groan come from inside. Pleased that there seemed to be human life inside, she smiled.

She heard him mumble a slur of words but understood none of them. She was sure he was nursing a hangover and her knocking was too obnoxious for his taste. Too bad.

"What?" He groaned, opening the door.

He looked exactly the way she expected. He wore a painful expression with his eyes squinted, nearly shut. As if she was too bright and cheery for his taste. Or maybe he had just woken up and his eyes still hadn't adjusted to the light. His bed-head looked…well, not so great. It was greasy and tangled. Not cute and untouched like it usually did. He only wore a pair of sweat pants that fell a little too low on his hips, exposing his green-stripped boxers and a dark happy trail right above it. And there was a smell...had he not been showering?

She didn't bother wasting her time with a greeting. She was sure whatever she said would be responded with a groans and complaints as to why she was there. And she really didn't care what he had to say. Not yet. Her first priority was getting him clean. So she pushed past him roughly, earning her a "What the fuck Casey," whine from the baby himself.

She continued to ignore him as she let herself take in the state of his apartment. It almost brought tears to her eyes. She had been there less than two weeks ago and she made it spic and span. And yet here she was standing in what looked like a toxic zone. She had to physically hold down her stomach's contents when she looked around. It was gross.

Pizza boxes and other take out containers cluttered the living room; on the coffee table, on the couch, even on the floor. How long had they been there? Hmm, tough to tell but she knew it was long enough to grow some fungus.

"What did you do?" She asked in horror, turning to him as if he had destroyed a masterpiece.

He rolled her eyes at her dramatics. "Nothing." He replied, taking a seat in his precious recliner, pulling a discarded box of pizza into his lap, hoping for some leftovers. He seemed to be in luck. He smiled down at the pizza in his hands like a madman... until Casey ripped it out of his hands.

"What?" He asked, yelling up at her. She still hadn't even explained why she was there. Let alone why she was taking away such a perfect slice of pizza. He needed breakfast after all!

"Shower. Now!" She yelled at him like she was his mother.

"What?" He asked genuinely concerned as if he didn't understand that strange concept she seemed to be talking about.

"Go shower, now." She spoke sternly through gritted teeth. "I refuse to speak to you until you look decent Venturi," she demanded.

"Who says _I _ want to talk to you?" He countered. Who the hell did she think she was? She was not his favorite person at the moment, and the way she was talking to him, yeah it wasn't helping either.

"Listen kid," she said walking up to him, poking him in the chest roughly. "You can insult me all you want _after_ you fix your hygiene problem, okay?" She with a sarcastic smile.

"Whatever." He said pushing passed her. He didn't want to listen to her. He rather kick her out, to be honest. But the thing was...he saw her point. He was beyond gross and disgusting. He smelled like musk and old gym socks. Why hadn't he noticed it before? Oh right, because he was sitting there mopping about his life.

She watched him like a hawk until the bathroom door slammed shut. She smiled triumphantly. At least she had won that battle. Now to fix the house...

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><p>To be honest he felt a thousand times better after he got out of the shower. His greasy locks where now squeaky clean and he smelled like his favorite soap; Irish springs (the smell of a man, he would always say). He looked at himself in the mirror and for the first time in days liked what he saw. He didn't look pale and sick anymore. Just… well, unhappy. He shook his head, refusing to go down that road again. He pulled a towel from the rack, wrapped it around his waist and headed out into the battle zone.<p>

She didn't seem to attack him the second he stepped out. He figured it was safe to lock himself in his room to get clothes. Real clothes, not just sweat pants. He pulled on the cleanest pair of jeans he found and an old t-shirt. One last look in the mirror and he nodded. He looked normal again. It had been awhile.

By the time he made it out to the living room, it looked completely different. And he hadn't even been gone that long. Thirty minutes tops. All the leftovers where gone. Everything was clean - at least clean for Derek's standards. He didn't see a piece of pizza or chicken anywhere. So yeah, that was clean! But when his starving stomach growled, he was suddenly missing the mess.

He made his way into the kitchen where Casey seemed to have started on. She was doing the dishes while something was boiling in a pot on the stove.

"Why are you here?" He asked. Although he was now clean, his attitude had yet to change. She didn't have to be there. She had no reason to be there actually.

"Oh look! He has returned!" She mocked with a fake smile as if talking to an audience.

"Why are you here?" He repeated, obviously not amused by her sarcasm.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe to make sure you're actually _alive_?" She countered quickly. She knew she was in for chaos, but she didn't expect him to be a little brat. What happened to all the progress?

"That's not your job." He sneered. What was it with this girl that made her think she could stuff her nose into everything? She needed to learn about boundaries and that some things were none of her business. Life would be a lot simpler if she learned to stay away.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm aware." She said turning her back on him, tending to the stove. Was she really that horrible of a person? Coming over, cleaning his house, cooking him a decent meal? Why was he so mad at her?

"Go home, Casey." He begged. He didn't want to see her, he didn't want to be _near_ her. It was too much. It was too hard.

"I will. As soon as I finish these dishes. Feed you. And do your laundry. You're down to the bare essentials huh Der?" She smirked, surveying his body. She tried to make a joke out of it, not letting his words bother her. But it was starting to get pretty hard. He wouldn't lighten up one bit...

"I don't need you to take care of me Casey. You've done enough." He replied, not moving from his safe spot near the doorway.

"I'm not doing it because you want me to, dumbass. I'm doing it because I want to." She explained as her blood starting to bubble a little. She was starting to lose her cool. But she couldn't even be blamed for it. He was pushing her.

"Like I said: you've done _enough_. Go home." He egged her on. He wasn't even up for a fight to be honest. He just wanted her gone. He wanted to be alone…away from her, from Allie, from everyone. Wasn't he allowed that?

And with that, Casey erupted. "What the hell is your problem Venturi? I understand if you think I came here to bitch or god forbid talk about the elephant in the room. I'm not! I'm here making sure you're okay. That's all. Yet you're acting like I did something!" She yelled back at him, a hand on her hip; her battle stance established. She had taken the gloves off. It was weird though...She hadn't fought with him in what felt like forever. And falling into the same routine...this time didn't feel right. Something was off. But she didn't have time to sit there and think about it.

"YOU DID!" He screamed out, hands flailing about frustrated. Was she still not getting it? It was clear as day!

"Yeah? Well enlighten me." She fought back, crossing her arms over her chest, physically bracing herself for what was about to come. "What did I do?" She dared ask him.

If only she knew what she was in for...

"Everything! You're the reason I cheated on her. You're the reason I haven't left the house in days. You're the reason I'm not on my honeymoon right now. You're the reason she refuses to marry me. YOU'RE THE REASON SHE LEFT ME!" He yelled at her, counting off on his fingers all of her wrong doings. He kept taking a step closer to her with each passing reason.

"You see, there's a flaw in your theory." Casey spoke as calmly as she could, blinking back tears. Sure they had many, many fights in the past but never had he ever looked at her with such disgust in his eyes. And even though he had just explained why, she couldn't understand where this was coming from. He was all wrong. How couldn't he see that?

"What's that?" He countered, trying to calm himself down a bit. He knew he was overreacting and that he would come to regret this later but right now, he was furious. And the more she pretended to be all innocent and shocked by his words, the more his anger grew.

"I'm not behind any of your problems. This other girl is. You can blame her!" She hissed, pushing him away from her. He was too close. His presence was suffocating, making it hard to breathe or to even form a coherent argument. The anger boiling within her was enough of a distraction, she didn't need him helping.

"You just don't get it do you?" He asked softly, shaking his head as his eyes stayed focus on the ground.

"Oh, I get it perfectly fine Derek." Her eyes burning a hole into him, hoping he'd have the balls to look up at her.

And apparently, he did. "You are the other girl, Casey. You're my number one._ You._" He tried explaining, eyes meeting her burning glare.

Obviously that's why he was so upset. Out of all the girls in Canada, he fell for her. The one girl he's not supposed to have. And not just that but the fact that it had taken him so long to reach such a conclusion. If he had stopped to even think about it before all this, his heart, even Allies could have been spared.

But no, nothing goes his way. And to add another thing to his list of fails, he sort of expected her to he all surprised, happy and jumping into his arms after such a confession. But yet again that's not how the story goes. This is Casey after all. She never does what he expected from her.

Instead of seeing her happy and moved he saw her eyes darken to a deeper shade of blue and her face flushed with anger. It was almost as if by telling her it was her he had said the worst possible thing. It was almost comical the way he could feel the rage build up from her toes. She took a few seconds, gathering her thoughts before replying to him. "You've said some pretty low things to me before, Derek. But blaming me...for _this_? That's just a whole new level." She declared shuffling passed him and right out the door, not taking one more look at him.

He took in a deep breath, collecting as much air as he possibly could before letting out a slur of obscenities. He just told her. He literally just _told_ her he loved her (obviously in a Derek Venturi kind of way) and she left. The girl would not understand simplicity could she? He ran his hands through his hair, grabbing two fistfuls and roughly pulling at them, hoping it would pull him out of the nightmare he must be living in.

Did that really just happen?

And with the sound of the fire alarm going off, his attention was pulled back to the stove where there may or may not be a small fire.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong>

And cue the really long rambling author's note that most people skip...

Okay. This is bad. I know this is bad. You guys know this isn't my best work. And it's killing me. Like, I just sat here forcing myself to finish this chapter, but it was so painful. Because I know it's horrible. But it had to be done. Obviously Derek is not okay at the moment. But you have to understand in the span of 2 weeks he was left at the alter, he discovered that he's been in love with Casey, and had his encounter with Allie. And then he was left to deal with everything on his own. And spending so much time alone well, obviously it did him no good. So, I mean if you want a silver lining its the fact that he told her. But if you want to hate me for writing such a horrible chapter, I'll take it.

And by horrible I mean the way I wrote it. (The idea in my head was pretty perfect.) Anyway, I promise I will try my best to do better for next chapter. But if I didn't post this now it was going to be put off as I tried to rewrite it a million different ways, never actually resulting in anything good, and eventually midterms would come (and I'm aware that I'm rambling) and school will get so busy that I won't ever post and you guys would hate me. So instead of hating me in like 3 months, just hate me now for this one and I'll do my best for the next one.

Which actually you might hate me for too cause Allie is coming back... BUT NOT IN THE WAY YOU THINK! And hopefully then you'll only hate me cause you hate Allie's existence and not my actual writing...

And, to quote Eminem (in _Love the Way You Lie_): I'm so lost, hug me! Then tell me how ugly I am, but that you'll always love me.

Seriously, that's how I feel right now about this. Ugh! (Do you sense my frustration?)

Okay, I'm sorry. Bye!


	10. Chapter 10

**The Bachelor  
>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own LWD  
><strong>AN<strong>: ...Enjoy? At least _try_ to!

* * *

><p><strong>The Bachelor:<br>****Chapter 10**

It had been a week since the big blow up with Derek. A mere seven days... And somehow in that time there had been exactly four phone calls, two voice mails, five texts, and a colorful bouquet of flowers delivered to her apartment. You had to give it to him, for a guy who hated romance and all things emotional he had been trying. But Casey refused to give him an ounce of sympathy. Why should she?

The way she saw it, he had crossed the line. She was well aware of his emotional state, obviously it wasn't stable. But to blame her for whatever he had done seemed more than unjust. Maybe there was a sting of jealousy... She still didn't know who this mysterious woman was. And a tiny part of her wished it were her. Because it would mean that he, well...loved her, she supposed. And although the idea of loving Derek still wasn't an easy pill to swallow, she'd give anything for it to be a requited feeling.

But the second she let herself think about him choosing her…of him possibly loving her, guilt fell onto her like a pile of bricks. Even if by some miracle he did, then she'd be guilty of everything he accused her of: of ruining his wedding and breaking Allie's heart. Two things she couldn't deal with. So she went with the latter option. It wasn't her. He was simply blaming her because she was simply there to blame.

A knock at the door brought Casey out of her thoughts. She had been spending way too much time thinking about her current predicament. She shook her head trying to rid her frustration from her cloudy thoughts before she made her way towards her door. She had to admit, her heart dropped for a second thinking that maybe just maybe it was Derek. Even though she wouldn't dare open that door if it were, it was a nice thought. However the person on the other side of the door did surprise Casey, just as much as Derek's appearance would have.

"Allie?" Casey asked when she opened the door to the raven-haired beauty. She was genuinely confused. That was the last person she would think would be at her house. They had barely ever held a five minute conversation in the past, when had their relationship escalated to the point of house calls?

"Hi Casey," Allied smiled wearily. It was clear she was trying a bit too hard; her tone was just a bit too cheery to match her expression. She didn't know Casey very well, only the bits that Derek ever bothered to share. And so she wasn't exactly sure _how_ to approach the situation. Or how exactly Casey would react to such a visit.

"What are you doing here?" Casey asked as politely as she could without sounding rude. But having Derek's ex-fiancé at her doorstep wasn't the most comfortable situation. It was hard to keep a straight face; her muscles were cringing simply by the near proximity. She was tempted to slam the door and run under her covers. It was amusing how such a small girl could scare Casey so easily…but it was more about what she represented.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude by just showing up like this. I'll be super quick...I just want to talk to you. Can I come in?" She begged Casey. She knew it wouldn't be an easy sell, but she was going to give it her best shot anyway.

"Oh, sure. Sorry where are my manners? Please, come in," Casey spoke softly, doing her best to smile. She stepped aside to let Allie in, crossing her fingers that her life wasn't in danger.

"Can I get you anything?" Casey asked, hoping to avoid the inevitable for as long as possible.

"No, no, I'm fine. Thank you," Allie denied politely. Honestly she didn't have a lot of time and she needed to just get it out in the open already.

Casey nodded awkwardly having no choice but to have a seat in the living room with her. She sat on the adjacent couch where Allie had sat. "So, what's on your mind?" Casey asked.

"I wanted to talk to you about Derek." Allie stated, unsure of what effect his name would have on Casey.

Casey paled. _Of_ _course_. "I really rather not." She replied quickly. _Anything_ _but_ _Derek_.

"Casey... I know what happened between you too." Allie admitted keeping her eyes locked onto Casey's coffee table. It was hard to lock eyes with her. It was too uncomfortable.

"You do?" Casey asked doubtful, her eyebrows knotted together. She didn't think Derek would actual tell her… but then again maybe she was wrong.

"Yeah. And no, I'm not here to yell at you, or demand anything of you. I'm simply here to ask something of you." She pleaded.

"Yeah?" Casey replied cautiously.

"Give him a chance." Allie said this time making sure she held Casey's stare. The brunette needed to be aware of how serious Allie felt about the whole situation.

Casey let out a soft chuckle truly amused by Allie at the moment. That girl was really full of surprises wasn't she. "What?" Casey asked softly.

"I'm going to tell you what I told Derek... I didn't leave him at the church so he could end up with any ol' girl. I left him so he could be with that one girl who stole his heart years before I even had a chance. And that girl is you." She explained with a tear or two in her eyes. She blinked them back, trying not to show any sign of weakness. Derek had taught her that.

Now that just pissed Casey off. "Why is everyone saying that? It's not me." She yelled, her mood changing completely. She wasn't going to sit there and take that. Not from Derek and definitely not from Allie. She was _not _the one. She was not taking the blame for that one.

"You're blind Casey." Allie spoke softly, shaking her head. She knew the girl was stubborn, but she didn't think she was dense.

Casey scoffed. This was going very bad _very_ quickly. "I'm not! It's some other girl but he's blaming me like it's my fault. Typical Derek." She said rolling her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

"Casey...he's not blaming you. You haven't done anything. It's not like you made him fall for you years ago. You can't control that stuff. It simply _happened_. You need to accept that. You know...you're just as stubborn as him." Allie noted with a soft smile. Maybe those two were meant to be. She felt like she was fighting with Derek.

"This is ridiculous." Casey hissed annoyed.

Allie ignored the comment. "He sent you those, didn't he?" Allie asked with a genuine smile, eyes looking passed Casey and onto her dining room table where the bouquet laid.

Casey was startled for a second. How could she have known that? Unless... "You saw him again?" Casey asked accusing her roughly, hostility evident in her voice. She wanted Allie to stay as far away from Derek as possible. She wasn't sure why but being around her wasn't good for him.

It was clear that Allie sensed Casey's aggression. She understood it to an extent but didn't think Casey had the right to accuse her of such a thing. "No, I didn't." She deadpanned. "Not since that day..." She trailed off. It had been a very hard day for her as well. She cried for two days straight with memories that she'd rather not dwell on. It hurt that she was being accused of something she hadn't done. And honestly, so what if she had done it? Was she not allowed to see Derek anymore? "You don't know everything about me Casey," she started, hoping Casey could understand. "I use to help my family run a little flower shop." She smiled softly. She was awfully proud of it actually. "It's not ours anymore, but it's the only place he'd ever buy flowers, I'm sure of it." She explained as to how exactly she knew.

Casey instantly felt ashamed. She was well aware of her bitchy attitude. She couldn't even say anything in a reply.

"You know, he doesn't _do_ flowers." Allied mentioned fiddling with her fingers nervously.

"I know," Casey mumbled under her breath.

"I got two bouquets in five years." Allie added.

"Flowers mean nothing." Casey shot back. So he sent her flowers. Big deal. He was only trying to get on her good side.

"If that's what you want to believe." Allie shrugged. Of course she was biased. She knew the meaning behind every flower type and its color.

She knew that the lilacs Iris' meant first love, the pansy orchid meant loving thoughts, the white roses meant purity and yellow tulips which mean helplessly in love. It was a beautiful colorful arrangement that meant a whole lot but of course she wouldn't bother explaining that to Casey.

"Casey... I know this must be difficult for you. But I'm not here to tear you down, to yell and blame you for everything. I came here to let you know I'm leaving. I'm off to travel for a bit. I won't be around to see Derek or even talk to him. Or threaten your relationship with him. But I hope that you start a relationship while I'm gone." She spoke genuinely.

"Why? Why would you ever want that?" She asked. Why did she really want Casey and Derek to be together? She didn't know them or their true dynamic. They were mostly a recipe for disaster.

"Because he's _in_ love with you." Allie shrugged. She dropped a white envelop on Casey's coffee table before gathering her stuff up to go.

"So why are you going away?" Casey prodded, needing more details. Even if it were true, why did she feel the need to leave, to travel, to be far away from them? Didn't she say she was okay with it, and encouraged it even?

"Because although I just want him to be happy, it pains me to know that I was not enough to do it. I just need a little time for myself. To think, to get away from everything that reminds me of him. I have got to move on sometime. Why not now?"

Casey let the words register. She wasn't even mad or hateful about it. Maybe Derek did pick a nice girl after all… "What's that?" Casey asked, taking notice in the forgotten envelop on her table. It was plain except for her name scrawled onto the front in Derek's unmistaken writing.

Allie shrugged. "It was on your doorstep when I arrived. I recognized the writing." She winked before walking out of Casey apartment, and Derek's life.

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><p><strong>An<strong>: Ok, so when I mentioned Allie was coming back you guys weren't thrilled. But she was only coming back to talk to Casey- to be that break through. But I did take your opinions into consideration. She hasn't seen Derek since ch. 8. So, happy medium? :)

I hope you felt the awkwardness of having these two lovely ladies in the same room together. And I know Casey was a bit OOC, but you have to understand how awkward and uncomfortable this was for her. She wasn't sure if she should try to be nice or be a full on bitch (because well this girl destroyed Derek in a way,) or be scared that Allie wants to kill her for messing everything up. You know?

I totally googled flower meanings. I can't even fathom what that bouquet would look like, but I think colorful and diverse. It can work. I think...

Anyway, I'm so sorry for the delay in update. I started school again. Excuses, excuses I know. There's not much left of this story, its coming to a close. I'm surprised it's this long really. It just started with my idea for Casey to be Derek's stripper at his bachelor party, haha.

**Review is you still love me?**


	11. Chapter 11

**The Bachelor  
>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own LWD or the other things that inspired me which are all noted at the end!  
><strong>AN<strong>: ...Enjoy? At least _try_ to!

* * *

><p><strong>The Bachelor:<br>Chapter 11**

Allie had left about two hours ago and Casey still hadn't opened the letter. She held it in her hands, examining it from every possible angle without opening it. She inspected it as if it were a bomb that might explode under the wrong touch. She had put it in the light, trying to see what its contents were. But none of it really made a difference. She knew it wouldn't, but yet she continued to avoid opening it.

She wasn't sure why she was so scared. But the thought of just what could be inside that small white envelop terrified her… Until her curiosity got the best of her. She slipped her finger under the flap, pulling the envelop open.

She allowed herself to memorize the content's written on that single piece of paper. It was simple, clear as day, but every time she read it, her anger burned just a bit more. After she had the letter memorized word for word she stuffed it back into the envelope and made her way out. It was time to pay Derek Venturi a little visit.

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><p>She found herself at his apartment door in a matter of minutes. Getting there was a blur. Sure she may have broken a few laws on the road, but even she found it was under an acceptable circumstance to do so. What was Derek thinking? This wasn't the kind of conversation they could have on the phone, no it had to be in person. So she did whatever she had to do to get there, and if she did get a ticket, he was surely paying for it.<p>

Her small fist banged against his door violently. She didn't bother using the knocker; she wasn't in the mood to be civil and polite. She was upset. She didn't let herself process the information correctly. She was simply acting on autopilot where Derek Venturi wasn't allowed to do anything nice or sweet without having ulterior motives. And she would find out what they were, one way or another.

Eventually (which seemed like too long for Casey) the door swung open. He stood there on the other side, with a white towel wrapped around his neck. His hair was still dripping (what she hoped was) beads of water down his neck. His eyes sparkled with glee, his smile matching it perfectly. She almost wanted to continue surveying his body, but his voice cut her off. It brought her attention back to his lips. _Those lips_. And before the next spark of attraction could overwhelm her, she reminded herself of her previous anger. Her checks flushed instantly, and her mind went blank, clearing him out of her senses.

"Case!" He spoke enthusiastically with a wide smile, his voice clearly surprised by her. Normally he was a 'play it cool' kind of guy but not this time. He couldn't keep playing that. She was there, which is all he had been wanting for days now. He wasn't going to fight. He refused to. He was going to be civil, he was going to behave and talk to her. Break it down to her in a suitable manner. This time he wasn't going to blow it.

She pushed passed him instantly, not bothering with a greeting.

"What this?" She asked furiously flapping around that pesky white envelope in front of his face fiercely. Even though she was mad, she couldn't help but notice that this time his apartment was clean. That alone was distracting, she highly approved of such a change. She also noticed that he didn't seem to be in a funk any more. Allie must have kept her word; they hadn't seen each other…

"A star." He explained, unsure of where the confusion laid. It was pretty straight forward. A certificate of authenticity. Somewhere in the galaxy (Derek couldn't be bothered to remember where) laid a star named after a klutzy princess.

He took a seat on the edge of his recliner, keeping his elbows on his knees, hunched forward giving her all of his attention as he wondered where her anger was coming from.

She stood in front of him, in her classic battle stance (he couldn't help but find attractive.) "I'm aware." She spoke with that unmistakable attitude. She tilted her head to the side to get a better look at him. "Why are you naming a star after me?" She yelled throwing the envelope into his lap.

He chuckled a bit as he softly shook his head. He looked down at the envelope and easily fished out its contents. He reread them carefully. Nope, he still didn't understand what exactly he had done wrong. Not this time anyway. With a shrug he looked up at her again and explained, "I realized you're not the type of girl a guy gets flowers for." He finished, leaning back into his chair, pulling the lever and releasing the foot rest. He figured if she was going to yell at him, he might as well be comfortable.

"Why not?" She fought back as if he had just insulted her with the cruelest of words. In a way he did though. Classic Casey; always assuming things, driving herself to conclusions that really had no proof behind them. Why wasn't she _that girl_ in his eyes? What did she lack? What was wrong with her?

He rolled his eyes. _Typical_. She would take that the wrong way. "You don't consider flowers a _'grand romantic gesture'_'' He explained, using air quotes. "Even if you did bother to think about _what_ they meant." He mumbled looking away.

She ignored his last comment, not bothering to go into that. Not yet at least. "So, you named a star after me?" She asked, clarifying. She was still unsure how he went from flowers to stars. Was something getting lost in translation or was she simply not getting it?

"Wasn't that obvious?" He asked, just a little bit annoyed with her. Here he thought he had done right by her...that he had pulled the right move for the first time ever with her. But she was so damn stubborn she refused to believe he could be anything but the pain in the ass he usually was. He was almost offended by her disbelief.

"That's not how it works Derek," she sighed, defeated. This whole 'anger' thing was taking all the energy out of her. She fell onto his couch in a huff. Why couldn't he just understand?

He watched her carefully, unsure if she was going to get up and start yelling at him again. Once he thought it was safe he got up slowly, so she wasn't scared by his sudden movement (Discovery channel much?) He made his way towards her, sitting next her body which seemed to resemble an old raggedy doll. He took a lot out of her, didn't he? "Case," he whispered gently.

"Hmm?" she asked rolling her head to the right so she could look at him properly from his new spot next to her.

"I'm sorry." He said biting his bottom lip, looking down into her eyes.

"Do you know what you're apologizing for?" She asked, her voice suddenly raspy. The yelling had gotten to her. She wasn't as young as she use to be. Fighting with him wasn't as easy as before…just another harsh reminder that she was getting older. That her clock was ticking. Although, no one considered twenty-three old, Casey had a plan. And in this plan, by now she was supposed to be in a serious relationship with her soon-to-be-husband.

"For driving you crazy?" He shrugged with a lazy smile. He wasn't exactly sure how he had done it, but surely he had done something wrong which had put her in such a mood.

She shook her head softly. Nope, he clearly didn't get it. Well, that was just wonderful wasn't it? Either she explained it, or she let it go. Let it all go…

He let a small smirk escape him. "I meant every word I said that night Case," he told her genuinely.

And with that she made a move to get up, to leave. _Let it all go._ Clearly he hadn't learned from her silent treatment. He was back to blaming her for his troubles. Yeah, that was fun. He seemed to be a pro at mix signals. Why would he send her flowers, and name a god damn star after her if he blame her for ruining his life? He made no sense. And Casey, well she didn't think she deserved to be put through such a situation. Not anymore.

The second he saw her move a centimeter away from him, he panicked. His hands wrapped around her elbows and pulled her back down onto the couch, into his chest possessively. No, not again. This time, he was going to do it right.

"I love you." He explained in the purest way he knew how to explain it to her. With one arm around her middle, keeping her close to him, and the other cradling her face gently.

She gulped, her body falling limp against his. She had no will to fight against him. There was no way she could muster up the amount of energy that it took to get away. He had drained it out of her with those words. They had never sounded so real, so believable. And the way he was looking at her. God, it was like he was looking through her like a glass window. It terrified her and made her feel small.

"I mean it Princess." He added, sensing her fear. Her eyes went wide, her breathing had stopped. He could see the worry etched across her face easily.

And those were the words that broke the camel's back. Tears weld up in her eyes instantly and she started to cry. Derek was like a drug to her. An unstable substance that seemed to intensify every emotion she could ever feel. And although she liked to think she could quit, that she could stay away, go cold turkey, there would always be something that pulled her back to him. Even if it was a just the simple desire to fight, something else always lingered beneath the surface. Sometimes she could control it, but other times, like this, an overdose of that sugary sweet drug she craved so much… it was sure to kill her.

"Oh boy," he whispered to himself before pulling her up into his lap, both arms wrapping around her protectively. Her body curled up around him perfectly... like they were made for each other. "What did I do wrong this time?" He asked the sobbing girl.

"You. Love. Me." She spoke in between sobs. Her hands grabbed the towel that was still around his neck, pulling him down to her, as if it was physically possible. And why did he have to be shirtless? That was not helping her case. She buried her face into his bare chest, smelling his body washes on his skin, the smell making her dizzy. As if the crying wasn't having its own effect on her.

"Apparently." He shrugged against her. What else could it possibly be? It wasn't about the sex. Clearly they had both realized that. The only other explanation of that feeling had to be love. A kind of love he had never experienced. Not with Allie, not with anyone. Only with Casey. The ban of his existence. The girl who was his sworn enemy. The one girl he wasn't supposed to have. But the rules be damned. If she would let him in, he was going to have her in every way possible. Because he deserved it. And even if he didn't, he'd work every day until he was worthy. He had to at least try.

"I. Ruined. Your. Life." She managed to reply. Her sniffling, snot and tears cold against his chest. She knew it was disgusting but she was in no state of mind to be able to control her emotions. Not like this. Not so wrapped up in his arms, not when he had said those three words so sincerely to her. Not when she did finally believe him.

To be honest, he didn't even feel the tears and erm, other substances leaking from Casey's face. She was his only concern. Comforting her was his main priority. "Why do you say that?" He asked, pulling her into his body even tighter. She never ruined his life. He closed his eyes, relishing her warmth. _Please let me do this right_, he silently begged. Praying to whoever had any say over his faith.

"Because," she sniffled, her sobs starting to fade a bit. "Because of me, she left you. It's all my fault." She spoke, her lips quivering against his chest. She placed a kiss onto his bare skin, hoping somehow he'd forgive her for such a crime.

He took a moment to responded, because it sunk in. Accepting that Allie left him because of her meant she finally, _finally_ believed him. She knew he was honest, he wasn't lying. She believed it. Now combine that overwhelming feeling with her lips against his chest, his heart started racing at the simple possibility that it would finally work out. "Hey, if you decided to be with me, we'll call it even," he joked, trying to remain cool. Because yes, he could be sweet and romantic, but he was still Derek. And a serious moment with him will always have a countdown. She knew that.

"It's not funny." She yelled, her palm slapping his bicep roughly.

"Right, right. Not funny." He nodded, clearing his throat. He had to fight against his animalistic nature that just wanted to grab her and kiss her senseless. But he knew he couldn't, not yet. They were getting somewhere and he couldn't ruin that moment. Not just yet. So he would try his best to keep himself in check.

"Allie came over today… She's going away. Traveling for a bit." She spoke softly, head still laying on his chest.

"Oh." He responded because the last thing he wanted to hear was Allie's name. But being his current physical state he couldn't help but let his mind wander… What if Casey and Allie mud wrestled for him? Now that would be epic.

"She asked me to do something while she's gone." Casey added.

"What's that?" he asked a bit worried. He hadn't spoken to Allie since that dreadful day. Which was a good thing. They had decided on a clean break. They weren't even going to bother with the 'Let's be friends' thing because they both knew it wouldn't work. It wasn't that easy. A clean break was the best for them.

"To be with you." Casey smiled. She liked the thought and it was slowly becoming more and more real. A reachable goal. It was possible. But would she let herself indulge in such a pleasure?

He felt her smile against his chest and couldn't help but smile as well, cheesy as it may be. "Well…are you going to follow through with her wishes?"

"I haven't decided yet." She teased.

"Understandable." He nodded.

A comfortable silence fell amongst the pair. And they were okay with it. Because they both needed a moment to catch up with what had happened.

"What are we doing Derek?" she whispered, biting her lip, scared of what his response may be. But she had to know. It needed to be clear. She couldn't go on wondering, assuming and such. That only led her to the wrong conclusions, and a lack of sleep.

"I don't know…" He admitted. "I mean you're not getting any younger Casey. We don't really have much time to waste." He added. Partly joking, partly not. They had wasted enough time going in circles. They shouldn't waste another minute.

"Der-ek!" She yelled, pulling away from him a bit only so see his face. She shifted against his body, swinging a leg underneath her body so she could wrap her legs around his torso and look at him more comfortably.

He smirked, enjoying this position a lot more. He gripped her hips hard, pulling her impossibly close to him, licking his lips. "I mean, we both know I will always look good. But, you know I don't think you'll look good in a wedding dress in a few years." He smirked, knowing he was going to riled her up exactly the way he wanted to.

"As if!" She yelled.

"True. I don't think you could get me in a church ever again." He admitted.

"A little traumatized?" She asked softly, running her fingers through his now damp hair. That was understandable after all.

"Just a bit." He muttered, eyes looking passed her, the conversation suddenly had gone somewhere he wasn't ready for.

"We could always have a small wedding, in our old backyard." She suggested. Just because a church was ruled out didn't mean she wasn't making him walk down the aisle. What type of women did he think she was? A women like Casey dreams about her wedding since she's a little girl, and a wedding she will get.

"Small, low key. No stress?" He asked, liking the idea.

"Sounds perfect." She smiled. And in a flash she pictured the whole thing. The backyard covered in white. Cute little wooden chairs set up in rows. A small intimate gathering with only their closest friends and family. A simple dress which clung to her curves elegantly. Her hair up in a classic up-do, nothing too extravagant. Maybe she could get him to release a few white doves in the end…

He brushed the remains of her tears off her cheeks gently, bringing her back to reality. "You do realize your planning our wedding, right?" He asked, unaware of the pictures that were flying around her mind.

She nodded knowing that's exactly what she was doing. No regrets either. Like he said, they didn't have time to waste, right?

"And you do realize I haven't proposed yet." He teased. He may have yet to do so, but he knew he would. He wasn't sure how he'd do it, nothing was good enough for that Princess, but he'd worry about that later. He needed to secure her status in his life now before anything else.

She rolled her eyes. Details, details. "Yeah." She breathed out. He would get around to it eventually. She wasn't too worried.

"And that there's no way I ever do it until you say it." He explained.

She looked at him confused for a moment. Until she said what? And then it hit her. "Nuh uh." She shook her head.

"Three words, Casey. Say it. Forget your pride." He begged. He had long forgotten his…at least in the safety of his apartment.

She shook her head and smiled. "Pride is all I have." She explained. She was there, wasn't that enough?

"You could have me." He bribed her, hoping he was worth her pride. She was clearly worth his…

She sighed heavily. "You've ruined me Derek Venturi." She spoke genuinely.

"Now, that's a bit harsh don't you think?" he asked. At least he wouldn't refer to it as 'ruined.'

"Well it's true. I was sane before you. Now I'm in between tears and anger. I've been feeling everything from hate to love. From love to lust. From lust to truth and it's just too much to handle." She admitted, looking down at their entangled bodies, no longer brave enough to look into his eyes. She always feared telling a man just how much power he had over her. Because she worried that the second he knew, he would abuse it and use it against her. So she refused to tell him what he wanted to hear. She blamed her parents' divorce for having trust issues. But maybe she just never got around to finding a guy worth trusting…

"Well, think about it this way. Who else could possibly cause half that reaction?" He offered, hoping she knew the answer to that question.

"No one." She admitted with a shy smile, looking up at him again. No one could ever possess a personality like Derek. She knew that.

"I'm the one Case." He told her, completely sure about it now.

She nodded, looking deep into his eyes, gnawing on her lower lip debating her options… She leaned into him hesitating a bit. She felt silly, like a school girl scared about her first kiss. She smiled at the thought before cupping his face.

"I love you too." She spoke before claiming his lips. Those lips. Because he was hers now. And she could kiss him without guilt, without worry, without uncertainty.

One hand was on the small of her back, pressing her closer to him whereas his other cradled her neck, keeping her lips against his, not giving her another moment of hesitation. He kissed her recklessly with every bit of passion he had in him. His hands, having a mind of their own, started playing with the hem of her t-shirt. But as tempting as that may be eventually they required oxygen, and they pulled apart, only a few centimeters, but even that was way too much.

The brief interruption gave him time to think clearly. And he came to a sad conclusion. "Let's take this slow." He suggested, catching his breath. It's not that he didn't want to, because believe me, he did. He just didn't want it to be a moment of lust. He wanted to prove to her that it was more…so much more. And even though it wouldn't be the first time between the pair, he could wait. And for her, he'd wait as long as needed.

"Okay." She replied with a nod. Surprisingly she wasn't fighting him. She was accepting, pulling away from a bit, trying to fight the temptation in front of her.

"Okay?" he asked surprised. He had to make sure she was okay with it. He had to make sure they were on the same page, for once.

"We'll take it slow." She approved. But taking it slow included her mentally planning their wedding. It may not happen anytime soon, but when it did, she would be ready. Because the only way she and Derek could make things between them work was if forever was in the plan. If she was going to be with him, he was it. There was no going back.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong>

Wow…okay. So, disclaimers galore!

This chapter had a lot of inspiration:

_A Walk To Remember_: The star. I was originally going to do a snapshot about it, but then I decided to use that for this, I really liked the idea.

"Pride is all I have." Is from Jennifer Lopez ft. LL Cool J - "All I have".

Ed Sheeran's song, _Kiss_ _Me_, for the line: " I've been feeling everything from hate to love. From love to lust. From lust to truth."

_Gossip_ _Girl_ (I'm sorry I don't know the episode) but the "Three words Casey. Say it." came from "Three words Chuck. Say it and I'm yours."

I know, **I KNOW** this took forever. Way too long. I had most of the dialogue written the week after I posted the last update. But the filling in everything else, that's always a bit harder. And well, as you can see this chapter was a bit longer than usual. It was also very emotional, and like I've said in prior AN's_ this story is based on emotions and the confusion between them_ (hence why the Ed Sheeran lyrics worked oh so perfectly.) So yeah…I hope I explained that well enough and it doesn't just seem like Casey is bi-polar.

There's just a short epilogue coming (hopefully soon, depending on my midterm line up… We'll see. I'll try my best!) But how do you feel about this chapter? Was it too rushed? Not enough Dasey… Tell me, tell me!

Ps. I love you.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Bachelor  
>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own LWD!  
><strong>AN<strong>: Enjoy

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><p><strong>The Bachelor:<br>The Epilogue**

"Hey Case," he started, gently breaking the comfortable silence between the pair.

"Hmm?" she asked still in a daze, finding it hard to catch her breath. If he kept that up she was on her way to becoming asthmatic, not that she had any complaints though.

She couldn't see the wicked look on his face, she wasn't prepared for the words he was about to tempt her with. "If I were to propose to you right now, how long could you put the wedding together?" He asked.

Her eyes snapped open, but she tried not to let his words affect her. She knew him very well and she knew it was probably only a joke. He meant nothing by it; she couldn't let it give her the slightest bit of hope…

"Three weeks." She replied once she gathered her thoughts. "Actually two, but I guess it's only fair to give three weeks notice for the RSVP." She clarified.

"Hm..." he mumbled, she felt the vibrations on his chest and smiled against it. "Okay." He spoke, nodding his head a bit, approving the answer.

"Okay?" she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. What did he mean by 'Okay'? That could mean so many things!

"Yeah." He replied, not understanding how he was being misunderstood.

She picked her head up from his chest and looked at him with "Does that mean...?" she started with a hopeful voice.

He cringed a bit, regretting asking. "No...I was just asking." He clarified, coughing awkwardly, hating the disappointed look in her eyes afterwards.

"Derek..." She sighed, his name heavy on her tongue.

"Mhmmh?" He asked, running a free hand through her hair as he attempted to distract her.

"Why do you refuse to marry me?" She asked; clear and to the point.

"I never said I refused." He replied easily, finding the loop hole in the conversation.

"But you'll never actually go through with it, will you?" She spoke softly, knowing the answer.

He remained quiet because, well he was holding off for as long as possible.

"Derek Venturi." She spoke, sitting up onto her knees, holding the blanket to cover her body; he didn't need any more distractions. "I would wait for you at the end of the aisle," she pledged wholeheartedly. She knew that's what had him worried. He didn't want a repeat of last time (even if it did work out for the best.) She didn't dare blame him though. She knew that must be a terrifying experience.

"What?" He coughed out. Had he heard her right?

"If you'd marry me, I'd give up walking down the isle for you." She explained.

A wicked smirk graced his swollen lips. "You really shouldn't have said that Casey." he warned, shaking his head with a chuckle.

"Marry me," she smiled back, almost daring him to.

He weighed his options out for a second. It really meant that much to her, huh? "Alright…. I'll marry you." He replied, pulling her back down into his arms before she even got to release the squeal that was building up inside her. "Three weeks baby." He whispered against her lips. (Who said he didn't listen?)

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you're letting her go through with this." Abby hissed at her son disappointedly. She thought it was a joke, she never thought he would actually be the one to walk down the aisle and meet Casey at the altar.<p>

"Hey, that's the kind of guy I am. She knows that mom." Derek shrugged. He was antsy. The ceremony was about to start and Casey was at the end of the small makeshift aisle in their backyard waiting for him. He was still pretty excited. Only Casey would let him pull such a stunt off on the most important day of her life which just gave him more of a reason to love her.

His mother rolled her eyes. Derek would never grow up, but Casey seemed to accept him, which for that she was eternally grateful. Sure, they weren't conventional, but hey they were happy and that's all that mattered.

The music started up, it was their cue to walk. With a deep breath Derek offered his mother his arm, with a smile she slipped an arm through his and they opened the backyard door.

The backyard was decorated in white. Very simple and elegant. But he barely noticed anything except for Casey. She held a small bouquet of white roses in her hand as she waited for him at the end of the aisle. She wore a simple dress, no puff, no embroidery work. Just a sweetheart neckline with a bustier styled top and a loose skirt that fell to the ground from the waist down in an elegant fashion. In other words, she was stunning. And the way her eyes sparkled as she waited for him to make his way towards her, he wore the goofiest smile she had ever seen and kept his eyes locked on her.

Casey passed her bouquet to Lizzie, the bridesmaid, before taking Abby's hand. She hugged her and thanked her before taking Derek's hand into hers. She gently laced her fingers through his, pressing a kiss on his knuckles before meeting his eyes once more.

They didn't even notice the chuckle from the audience, they were so absorbed in their own little bubble, everything else was simply irrelevant.

"You look beautiful" he whispered, words just for her to hear.

"You don't look too bad either, Venturi," she smirked.

He couldn't help but keep a stupid grin on his face because man, she had actually gone through with it. A silly promise she made in passing, she actually did it.

She led them toward the altar, in front of the priest and waited instructions, squeezing his hand once more. She had to make sure he knew she was there, she wasn't going anywhere.

Once they were nice and settled, Derek winked at the priest before turning toward the crowd.

Casey's eyes went wide. They had not rehearsed this, the priest was supposed to start the ceremony. Meaning once more, Derek was going off the track, and she had no idea where this was going.

"Before we begin, I wanted to say a few words." Derek smirked, knowing exactly what was going through Casey's mind. He knew her too well.

Casey paled for just a second, worried about what Derek had up his sleeve. He was never predictable. She really had no idea.

"Me and Casey, we're unconventional, you all know that. I mean, who else do you know will willingly give up walking down the aisle, for her pathetic excuse of a guy? Only Casey. And although I loved every second of it, I can't let that be our wedding. So the music going to start again and were going to do this the right way." He decided, turning to Casey, enjoying the shell shocked expression written on her face.

"Go head. I'll wait for you here." He promised, reassuring her that he wasn't going anywhere either.

And with that Dennis stood up from his seat and extended his hand out to his daughter. He was one of the few that knew about Derek's alternative plan.

"Seriously?" she asked him.

He nodded, with a smile. "Go head Princess," he urged her.

Her smile sparkled. She grabbed his face between her small hands and bowed it down to that she could press yet another kiss on his forehead. "You're perfect." She told him before accepting her father's hand.

* * *

><p>"I still can't believe you did that." Casey beamed up at him.<p>

"Really? It's exactly the type of thing I'd pull. Are you getting rusty on me Princess?" he teased.

"What made you say yes then if you planned on switching it all up on me the last minute?" She asked as they twirled around under the sparkly lights that illuminated their old backyard.

He thought about it for a second. "The undeserving selfless love you have for me. How could I deny you anything when you'd do anything for me?" He asked.

"Selfless?" She asked, confused.

"I know what getting married means to you Case. I know you don't take it lightly. Even though our parents went through it, you don't believe in divorce. This is a one time thing for you, and to be with me you would throw away that moment as if it were nothing." He shook his head remembering that moment in his bed only a few weeks ago. "There was nothing stopping me anymore. You're it Case." He finished.

And for that night, it was happily ever after.

But, you know, once the clock struck 12, the carriage turned back into a pumpkin, and the Princess screamed his name; divided 5 letters up into 2 syllables. Because even though she was his wife, it didn't mean she was safe from his wrath.

Let it be known that with Derek Venturi, all bets were off.

* * *

><p><strong>And as for Allie…<strong>

Well, she sent her love, she was glad those two finally had gotten it together. As for her...she was happy as well. She was currently touring all over the UK with her boyfriend's band, which is why she wasn't able to make it to the ceremony.

Her story is a cliché. They fell in love in a coffee shop. She was sipping on a caramel latte with a book under her nose when she heard the most infectious laugh she had ever heard. Her eyes followed the sound and landed on a rather beautiful blonde haired Irish boy with piercing blue eyes. (Suddenly she understood what Derek saw in Casey.) And when those eyes locked on hers, well the rest is as they say, history.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

Okay, so I lost all inspiration with this story, not even going to lie to you guys. I thought I had written an awesome chapter, but it turns out it wasn't. And so I was all 'Psh! I'm so done writing!' But I can never leave a story unfinished. So, I came up with this idea. The epilogue probably isn't as great as my usual work, I'm aware of that and for that I apologize. This semester at school has been kicking my ass!

So, why such a crazy ending? Well, because I like to top myself in my writing. And yeah, it's a bit crazy to believe that Derek walked down the aisle, but its Casey and Derek, and like I said in the end, all bets are off. So really, if you think about it, it was not that crazy to believe. And I haven't seen that been done before.

Also, someone, (I'm sorry I can't remember who at the moment!) said that they wished Allie got a happy ending as well. And she does! She ends up with Niall Horan from One Direction (my current obsession, besides Mike Posner. I'm determined to marry one of the two.) I know all of you hated her, but I felt like she deserved a happy ending too. I mean, hello! How do you go from Derek fucking Venturi and then willingly give him up because you know he's in love with someone else? That's heartbreaking man! (Or am I the only one who sees it?)

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this story, review one last time and don't forget to add me to author alert if you haven't yet =)


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